CLIMATE:
• Federal researchers say the public is still failing to grasp the risks of climate change. (Greenwire)
• A New Jersey lawmaker pushes his state’s attorney general to join New York and California in investigating Exxon Mobil’s climate disclosures. (NJ.com)
TRANSMISSION: After granting approval for an interstate wind-energy transmission line, the Energy Department says a 2005 law gives it authority to us eminent domain to acquire rights-of-way for the project. (New York Times)
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SOLAR:
• A review finds only 14 percent of solar customers are saving money under an Arizona utility’s demand-charge scheme. (Arizona Republic)
• State policy disputes mean an uncertain future for solar installers. (Wall Street Journal)
Proposed solar rules in Vermont would allow existing deals to stand for 20 years. (Associated Press)
• Solar backers are campaigning for a seat on an Arizona utility’s board of directors. (KJZZ)
• A Michigan utility looks to use vacant, city-owned property in Detroit for a 10-acre solar project. (Detroit Free Press)
WIND:
• An industry report says wind farms pay $222 million per year to rural landowners. (CleanTechnica)
• A settlement is reached in a dispute over a Montana wind farm’s impact on raptors. (Great Falls Tribune)
• A Democratic candidate for governor in Vermont wants to ban large-scale wind farms. (Vermont Public Radio)
COAL:
• Critics say Utah lawmakers’ support of a California export terminal won’t be enough to save the state’s industry. (Deseret News)
• An Oklahoma utility seeks approval of a scaled-back plan for emissions upgrades at a coal plant. (Oklahoman)
OIL AND GAS:
• Oil executives come to terms with the bad financial bets that led to the oil bust. (Washington Post)
• Federal drilling leases remain in limbo amid concerns over sage grouse habitat. (Associated Press)
FRACKING:
• The Interior Department is appealing a federal judge’s injunction against new rules governing fracking on federal lands. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• The EPA questions findings by Wyoming regulators that downplayed the role of drilling in water contamination in the state. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• Nebraska lawmakers approve tougher oversight of drilling waste disposal. (UPI)
UTILITIES: Ratepayers could soon be on the hook for cost overruns at an Oregon power plant. (Oregonian)
CLEAN TECH: Finalists compete for a $1 million prize in Chicago as part of this year’s Clean Energy Challenge. (Midwest Energy News)
COMMENTARY:
• Why the feds keep underestimating wind and solar in energy forecasts. (Vox)
• How an Arizona utility could become a leader on solar power. (Arizona Republic)