NOTE TO READERS: U.S. Energy News is taking a break for Labor Day. The email digest will return on Tuesday, September 6.
CLEAN POWER PLAN: The operator of the largest U.S. power market said it can meet the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan goals while limiting the impact on power prices to a less than 3 percent increase, according to a new report. (Bloomberg)
SOLAR:
• With the stated goal of having a zero-carbon footprint, a Texas credit union has installed 261 kilowatts of solar power across almost its entire chain. (San Antonio Business Journal)
• Hundreds of bird deaths at a Nevada solar plant remain a mystery. (Greenwire)
• A Minnesota apartment developer is making a major investment in solar power, hoping it will save money and attract new tenants. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Discover the human side of the energy future at the 2016 Surge Summit, featuring interactive panels, group discussions, and networking with leading experts in smart grid customer engagement.***
WIND: Two gigawatts of wind power could effectively replace 6,000 gigawatt-hours of energy generated at Colorado coal plants, according to a new study. (CleanTechnica)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: A Massachusetts-based startup unveils a $299 device that can sample data from a home’s circuit panel a million times per second and convert it into timely information on home energy use. (Greentech Media)
GRID: Multi-party ownership models are emerging as an option for U.S. microgrid developers, according to a new report. (Greentech Media)
UTILITIES: An electric utility in Oregon is working to add two new natural gas-fired power plants and a utility-scale solar project. (Portland Business Journal)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Boulder, Colorado, commits to being powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, making it the 17th U.S. city to make such a pledge. (ThinkProgress)
GEOTHERMAL: The federal government is exploring the possibility of buying geothermal energy from California’s Imperial Valley. (Desert Sun)
NUCLEAR: Pennsylvania-based Talen Energy withdraws its application for a second nuclear plant, saying it “sees no viable path to obtaining a license.” (Citizens’ Voice)
POLICY:
• Alaska’s governor plans to ask the Alaska Permanent Fund if the corporation is interested in investing in oil and gas tax credits issued by the state. (Alaska Dispatch News)
• Environmental groups send an open letter to President Obama, asking him to phase out “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption” by opposing the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. (Common Dreams)
OIL & GAS:
• Concern about natural gas leaks is motivating regulators and utilities to address the risks of aging infrastructure, with utilities in the Northeast leading the way. (SNL)
• The Bureau of Land Management is publishing final guidelines for how it will protect the greater sage-grouse from harms like oil and natural gas drilling. (The Hill)
• Pennsylvania environmental regulators can require oil and gas drillers to analyze the environmental and public effects of their proposed wells, according to a court ruling. (Tribune-Review)
COAL:
• The closure of one coal-fired power plant and part of a second in Colorado will make deep cuts in air pollution but cost at least 90 jobs over the next decade. (Associated Press)
• The failed search for a West Virginia man who has been missing inside of an abandoned mine is called off due to dangerous conditions for rescue workers. (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)
• Canada-based Corsa Coal agrees to pay $6.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit claiming that it and other affiliates polluted streams in Pennsylvania. (Tribune-Review)
***SPONSORED LINK: EnergyStorage Global Innovation Forum, September 12-13 in Chicago brings together top experts from ComEd, Oncor, PowerStream, PJM, Midwest ISO, ARPA-E, Argonne National Lab and many others to examine grid-level and behind-the-meter storage business models, technology innovations and opportunities. Visit www.esinnovationforum.com ***
PIPELINES:
• Enbridge is no longer pursuing its proposed Sandpiper pipeline in Minnesota, saying the project is no longer needed. (Minnesota Public Radio)
• At least eight tribes from Washington state have joined North Dakota’s Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in its fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, following similar threats to developments on their own ancestral lands. (Seattle Times)
• Alaska’s governor says the state will know within one year whether its liquefied natural gas pipeline project can move forward. (Alaska Dispatch News)
COMMENTARY:
• The amount of installed wind capacity across the U.S. has tripled over the last eight years, and recent polls show voter support. (Huffington Post)
• Why smart utilities are investing in distributed energy. (Ensia)