CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Federal regulators are moving forward with an optional cap-and-trade system that states can implement to comply with Clean Power Plan rules for power plants – a move the EPA says is “consistent with the Supreme Court’s stay” of the plan. (The Hill)
• Over 25 state attorneys general send a letter to the EPA to criticize the agency for what they describe as ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court’s stay of the Clean Power Plan. (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: An 8-minute documentary highlights small-town renewable energy efforts in the U.S. (Atlantic)
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EMISSIONS:
• California regulators discovered software installed on some of Volkswagen’s Audi model cars that was seemingly designed to cheat CO2 emissions standards. (Wall Street Journal)
• Wal-Mart says it will seek to reduce its emissions by 18 percent by 2025 and source 50 percent of its power from clean and renewable energy sources. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• The Florida Supreme Court rejects a last-minute effort by solar advocates to invalidate a misleading solar amendment that will be on this week’s ballot. (Miami Herald)
• A startup is offering solar power to customers anywhere in the U.S. by selling tiny shares of a Power Purchase Agreement. (Quartz)
• Kentucky regulators approve a controversial 35-acre community solar farm. (Courier Journal)
• An influential advisory firm says Tesla shareholders would be wise to back the company’s merger with SolarCity. (New York Times)
• Adding batteries to solar farms to help fuel the grid when the sun isn’t shining is the impetus behind SolarCity’s proposed merger with Tesla. (New York Times)
WIND:
• A six-turbine wind farm slated for construction in Lake Erie will have a minimal impact on wildlife, according to an environmental consultant who says it’s “the lowest-risk project” he has ever worked on. (Midwest Energy News)
• A company that was planning to develop two 200-megawatt wind farms in Hawaii is no longer interested in the project. (Pacific Business News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors says it’s cautiously ramping up production of Chevrolet Bolt electric cars, which will cost $37,495 and have a 238-mile range. (Reuters)
OIL & GAS:
• Regulators update standards for oil and natural gas drilling in national parks, bringing 319 wells under the control of the National Park Service. (The Hill)
• A conservation group wants Alaska’s regulators to allow public commentary on future fracking operations before projects can be approved. (Alaska Dispatch News)
PIPELINES:
• The Army Corps of Engineers tells Native Americans in North Dakota that it will ask developers to halt construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline for at least 30 days, with activists calling the decision a “first glimmer of hope.” (Mother Jones)
• Landowners in Iowa say Dakota Access Pipeline construction crews are disrespecting their property. (Des Moines Register)
• A pipeline that exploded in Alabama last week is back in service, but it could take days for the fuel delivery supply chain to return to normal, according to Colonial Pipeline Co. (Associated Press)
COAL:
• A North Carolina law could make it harder to recycle coal ash. (Southeast Energy News)
• The EPA has not approved of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to cap some of its coal ash impoundments, despite the utility’s claims to the contrary. (Southeast Energy News)
COMMENTARY:
• Why we don’t talk about climate change during elections. (Vox)
• U.S. companies need to stop investing in the exploration and development of new oil that the world doesn’t need. (Alaska Dispatch News)