CLEAN POWER PLAN: In a victory for clean energy supporters, a federal appeals court blocks attempts to halt the Clean Power Plan while a separate lawsuit moves through the courts. (New York Times)

ALSO: New documents show for the first time that West Virginia is looking for ways to comply with the federal rules — particularly through carbon trading with other states — despite political pushback. (ClimateWire)

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RENEWABLES:
• New York regulators approve a 10-year, $5 billion clean-energy fund for the state to reduce emissions and invest in renewables, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo says will attract another $29 billion in private investment and generate $39 billion in customer savings. (Reuters)
• 
Advocates in Michigan say the declining prices of renewable energy make the case for expanding state clean-energy standards. (Midwest Energy News)
Amid declining oil prices, wind and solar are thriving because costs have declined as government incentives have risen, demand is growing and investor support is strong. (National Geographic) 

EMISSIONS: The U.S. EPA plans to unveil a suite of methane regulations this spring for new oil and gas operations, but officials say there are no plans yet for national rules on existing facilities. (Greenwire)

OIL AND GAS:
• Coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean are putting up fierce opposition against President Obama’s plan for offshore drilling there. (The Guardian)
 The decline in oil prices has failed to boost the U.S. economy as it had in years past. (New York Times)

FRACKING: An oil and gas company in Oklahoma reaches an agreement with state officials to shut down several disposal wells in an earthquake-prone area of the state. (EnergyWire)

SOLAR:
• A developer inks a new deal with a southern California utility for 500 megawatts of new solar projects. (Utility Dive)
• 
Analysts say utilities may find business opportunities in distributed rooftop solar if they act proactively, particularly on customer relationships. (Utility Dive)

POLICY: Some scholars believe the president could use a provision in the Clean Air Act to enact a nationwide carbon-trading program. (Vox)

COAL: Despite the Obama administration’s announcement this week to freeze new coal-mine leases on public lands, two new applications from energy companies will be considered next week. (SNL)

NATURAL GAS: National industry groups are calling for more federal regulation of underground storage wells in light of the ongoing leak near Los Angeles. (Reuters)

INVESTMENT: A growing number of shareholders are pressing oil and gas companies to disclose their lobbying efforts against climate action. (Greenbiz)

CLIMATE: Researchers say climate change has exacerbated the public health impacts of air pollution over the past several decades. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

NUCLEAR: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is closely monitoring reactors’ performance in Mid-Atlantic states as a possibly historic snowstorm descends on the region. (Platts)

PIPELINES: The U.S. Forest Service rejects the latest route proposed for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline(Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Andy compiles the Midwest Energy News digest and was a journalism fellow for Midwest Energy News from 2014-2020. He is managing editor of MiBiz in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was formerly a reporter and editor at City Pulse, Lansing’s alternative newsweekly.

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