COAL: Financial experts say cheap natural gas and an oversupplied market of inexpensive coal were the primary drivers of Peabody’s bankruptcy — not environmental regulations. (ClimateWire)
ALSO:
• Environmental groups hope Peabody’s bankruptcy will hasten the transition from coal to renewables. (MarketWatch)
• “Right-sizing” will be the next step for the coal industry. (EnergyWire)
• Montana officials will continue studying potential impacts from a proposed coal mine even though developers have suspended the project. (Associated Press)
• Leaders in Wyoming hope technology can save the state’s coal industry. (ClimateWire)
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OFFSHORE DRILLING: The White House releases new safety rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the deadly 2010 BP Gulf oil platform explosion and resulting spill. (New York Times / New Orleans Times-Picayune)
WIND: An Iowa utility plans a $3.6 billion, 2,000 megawatt wind project, which would be the largest economic development project in the state’s history. (The Gazette)
SOLAR:
• An internal probe by SunEdison blames an “overly optimistic culture” for the company’s downfall. (SNL Energy)
• New Mexico is expected to hit its cap on solar tax credits this summer. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A California utility led the U.S. in solar installations last year with more than 1.2 GW. (PV Tech)
POWER GRID: Federal lawmakers urge agencies to bolster cyber defenses to protect the U.S. power grid. (The Hill)
CLIMATE:
• A Canadian evangelical climate researcher confronts the challenges with convincing American conservatives to care about climate change. (Midwest Energy News)
• A Florida Republican Congressman in a heated election battle says he’s “sick and tired” of his party’s denial of climate change and wants now to focus on solutions. (Tampa Bay Times)
• California’s pension fund pushes Noble Energy to release an annual climate change statement. (Reuters)
CLEAN ENERGY: A report says global investing in renewable energy infrastructure could drive costs down 30 percent. (Huffington Post)
NUCLEAR: Operators of a the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Massachusetts say it will be shut down in May 2019. (Boston Globe)
GEOTHERMAL: A report says building more geothermal plants along California’s Salton Sea could save ratepayers millions. (Palm Springs Desert Sun)
COMMENTARY:
• “We still need prudent public policies that ensure coal companies pay their cleanup costs.” (New York Times)
• How fracking became a key issue in the New York primaries. (Washington Post)
• Three different ways rural co-ops have cut costs on community solar. (RMI)
• Hispanic workers in Nevada are particularly hard-hit by the departure of solar installers. (Las Vegas Sun)