POLLUTION: In a settlement with the EPA, Duke Energy will pay $5.4 million for Clean Air Act violations dating back to the 1990s. (New York Times)

SOLAR:
• A new report ranks North Carolina second in the U.S. for new solar construction, but an expiring state tax credit will likely slow future growth. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Advocates say another report ranking North Carolina as a top solar state affirms the need to maintain existing clean-energy policies. (Associated Press)
• Work begins on a 30 MW solar facility at a Georgia naval base. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• A Virginia solar firm wins $225,000 in a state competition for startups. (Washington Business Journal)

UTILITIES: Duke Energy says it will continue to invest in clean energy, regardless of what happens in the North Carolina legislature. (Greensboro News & Record)

NATURAL GAS: A study finds natural gas pipeline replacement programs in cities like Durham, North Carolina have been effective in cutting methane leaks. (InsideClimate News)

OIL: A House subcommittee votes to lift the U.S. ban on crude oil exports. (The Hill)

OFFSHORE DRILLING:
• A federal report says workers reacted too slowly to stop a blowout on a Gulf drilling vessel in 2013. (Houston Chronicle)
• Shell is bringing the world’s largest offshore oil production vessel to drill in the Gulf of Mexico about 200 miles from New Orleans. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
• A group of 300 businesses along the Atlantic coast send a letter urging President Obama to block offshore drilling. (The Hill)

COAL:
• The coal industry’s decline leaves Appalachian towns struggling to provide public services. (Bloomberg)
• Union members have few answers about how an Alabama coal firm’s bankruptcy will impact their pensions and other benefits. (Tuscaloosa News)

CLIMATE: Despite billions invested in infrastructure, experts are concerned New Orleans still isn’t adequately prepared for rising sea levels. (ClimateWire)

POLITICS: Environmentalists are pushing companies to leave the National Association of Manufacturers over its stance on pollution regulations. (National Journal)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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