WIND:
• The Department of Energy is revoking millions in funding for a wind project off the New Jersey coast, after developers missed a key deadline to have a power purchase agreement in place. (Associated Press)
• Environmentalists are concerned that Donald Trump’s administration could interfere with two proposed wind projects off the coast of Long Island. (WSHU)
CLIMATE: It could take years for Donald Trump to reverse many of the energy and climate regulations enacted by President Obama. (The Hill)
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NET-ZERO:
• Maryland opens its first net-zero energy school, featuring 1,400 solar panels and a geothermal heat pump system. (Baltimore Sun)
• How the Minnesota National Guard is using renewable energy to move towards a goal of net-zero energy use at its facilities. (Midwest Energy News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Ford announces plans to start building electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles in a Michigan plant – scrapping plans for a $1.6 billion factory in Mexico. (Reuters)
• Tesla says it’s committed to ensuring the lithium-ion batteries it uses aren’t connected to human rights abuses and pollution overseas, but it’s hard for companies to know where the raw materials are coming from. (Washington Post)
SOLAR:
• Utah officials say a telemarketing scam is targeting would-be solar customers in the state. (Deseret News)
• Charlotte’s city council approves a deal to turn a 22-acre abandoned landfill into a solar farm. (Associated Press)
POLICY:
• While Ohio’s clean energy standards will resume this year, they remain weakened by a pair of 2014 laws. (Midwest Energy News)
• House Republicans are backing changes that would make it easier for Congress to transfer federal lands to states and local governments. (The Hill)
POLITICS: U.S. energy secretary nominee Rick Perry doled out millions in grants and tax incentives to energy corporations while governor of Texas. (ProPublica)
COAL:
• Washington refuses to allow a developer to use state-owned aquatic lands for a coal export terminal. (Portland Business Journal)
• Voters in coal country are counting on Donald Trump to keep his promise to bring back jobs. (NPR)
OIL & GAS: Compared to market forces, federal regulations are “a pretty minor issue” for the West’s oil and gas industry, according to experts. (Los Angeles Times)
PIPELINES: The governor of North Dakota tells pipeline opponents they should vacate a protest camp before the spring because of possible flood risks. (Reuters)
COMMENTARY:
• Donald Trump’s EPA nominee, Scott Pruitt, won’t protect the country’s air and water. (Huffington Post)
• Donald Trump’s picks for secretary of state and secretary of energy could be a “one-two punch” to re-energize the nuclear industry. (The Hill)