POWER PLANT EMISSIONS:
• The Obama administration has decided to give states more time to comply with cuts in carbon emissions from power plants required under the proposed Clean Power Plan, people familiar with the plans said Tuesday. (The Washington Post)
• A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered the EPA to relax some limits it set on air pollution from power plants that cross state lines. (Associated Press)
• Maryland regulators unveiled a plan Tuesday for reducing pollution from coal-burning power plants, which drew criticism from both the industry and environmentalists. (The Baltimore Sun)
CARBON CAP: Frustrated by legislative inaction on climate, Washington state’s governor plans to wield his executive authority to impose a binding cap on carbon emissions. (The Seattle Times)
SOLAR: SolarCity wants to outfit the rooftops of small and midsize businesses with solar panels by offering a new financing strategy to a market that the company says is largely untapped. (Los Angeles Times)
EARTHQUAKES: Several earthquakes shook Oklahoma on Monday as the state experiences a sharp increase in the frequency of tremors linked to wastewater disposal from gas and oil drilling, state and federal officials said. (Reuters)
KEYSTONE XL:
• Nebraska’s Republican governor sent President Obama a letter Tuesday that argues the Keystone XL pipeline takes a safe path through his state and warrants approval. (The Hill)
• A lead supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline in Congress said Tuesday that “multiple sources” told him President Obama will reject the $8-billion project when Congress is out of town in August. (Bloomberg)
PIPELINE SAFETY: The National Wildlife Federation says it will sue the U.S. Department of Transportation for improper authorization of pipeline projects over almost 25 years. (The Hill)
ETHANOL: Energy sector business groups locked horns Monday over the Obama administration’s latest proposed ethanol mandate, trying to influence how the EPA implements a 2007 law for blending the biofuel with gasoline. (The Hill)
COAL: Coal reclaimed its ranking as the top fuel for generating electricity at U.S. power plants in May, beating natural gas, which took the number one spot for the first time in April. (Bloomberg)
OIL & GAS:
• Chevron plans to cut 950 jobs in Houston by the end of 2015 as part of a plan to eliminate about 1,500 jobs worldwide in response to low oil prices. (FuelFix)
• BP lost $6.3 billion in the second quarter and warned of more layoffs ahead in Houston and elsewhere. (FuelFix)
• Anadarko Petroleum Corp. posted a 73 percent decline in second-quarter net income Tuesday due to lower prices for the extra oil and gas it was pumping from wells in Colorado and Texas. (FuelFix)
SMART METERS: Michigan activists have faced setbacks but vow to continue their efforts to stop the distribution of smart meters by major utilities, claiming the devices pose a health risk and violate privacy rights. (Midwest Energy News)
MICROGRIDS: TimberRock Energy, a Maryland-based startup, has won a $500,000 grant from the Maryland Energy Administration to deploy a small fleet of microgrids in the state. (Greentech Media)
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign will go carbon neutral, a campaign aide said Tuesday in response to a video that showed her boarding a private plane after outlining part of her climate change platform in Iowa. (CNN)