FRACKING: The EPA on Friday released a new analysis that finds nearly 700 chemical additives are used in fracking. (The Hill)
ALSO: Wyoming’s attorney general filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the U.S. Department of Interior’s right to regulate fracking. (Casper Star Tribune)
ARCTIC DRILLING: The U.S. should immediately begin oil drilling in Arctic waters off Alaska, a Department of Energy advisory council said in a study submitted Friday. (Associated Press)
CAP-AND-TRADE: Revenues generated from California’s signature cap-and-trade program reached nearly $1 billion by the end of 2014 – considerably higher than original estimates. (Sacramento Business Journal)
EFFICIENCY:
• Half of all hospital beds in the Northwest are covered by a formal energy management plan – twice the goal established by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance 13 years ago. (Portland Business Journal)
• The U.S. Senate approved a long-delayed bill Friday to boost energy efficiency that includes incentives to cut energy use in commercial buildings, manufacturing plants and homes, but it still needs House approval. (The Hill)
COAL:
• Georgia Power’s Plant Yates will stop burning coal no later than April 15 and transition to natural gas, following the utility’s retirement of five other coal-fired units. (Newnan Times-Herald)
• A renewed push for the state to take over regulation of Tennessee coal mining after 31 years of federal oversight has won approval in state House and Senate committees. (News Sentinel)
BIOFUELS: Environmentalists and bio-economy advocates agreed to modify a Minnesota bill aimed at establishing a $5-million production tax credit to advanced cellulosic biofuel and green chemistry producers starting July 1. (Midwest Energy News)
SOLAR:
• CloudSolar has raised more than its $300,000 crowdfunding goal to demonstrate that anyone can have solar power for $750. (Boston Business Journal)
• Solar power will be more accessible to Georgia homeowners under a bill approved by state lawmakers on Friday making it easier to lease solar equipment and sell power back to utilities. (Reuters)
WIND: Foes of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie question whether his shift away from clean energy arose from Koch Brothers’ wishes. (The Washington Post)
INNOVATION: The New York Power Authority and SUNY Polytechnic Institute will build the world’s largest research and development facility focused on enabling distributed energy and incorporating more large-scale renewables. (Greentech Media)
POLITICS: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York), the front-runner to succeed retiring Harry Reid as the U.S. Senate’s top Democrat, has not made greenhouse gas emissions a major focus. (National Journal)
HAWAII: Maui County, which includes the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai, is sticking to its ambitious goal of becoming the first islands in the United States to achieve 100 percent renewable energy not later than 2040. (Pacific Business News)