CLEAN POWER PLAN: Energy companies and industry groups are flocking to the White House in a last-ditch effort to change the EPA’s forthcoming carbon limits for existing power plants. (The Hill)
ALSO:
• Barack Obama’s main weapon in fighting climate change will survive even if Republicans win the White House in 2016, the head of the EPA said Tuesday. (The Guardian)
• Arizona has one of the youngest coal fleets in the nation, and the EPA is mandating that the state become coal-free in less than five years, state regulators and utility officials said. (Greenwire)
COAL:
• Coal production from mountaintop removal mining has dropped nearly two-thirds in the past six years. (The Hill)
• Unlike their neighbors in Kentucky, which has state-sponsored economic transition efforts, West Virginians have been largely left on their own to adapt to coal’s decline. (Reuters)
METHANE: Methane emissions from natural gas operations in North Texas are 50 percent higher than EPA estimates, according to a series of studies published Tuesday. (The Dallas Morning News)
GRID: Researchers at IBM are developing software products and services for utilities looking to get ahead of the power grid’s transformation to a more distributed future. (EnergyWire)
POLITICS:
• A panel of conservative policy analysts agreed this week that the Republican Party is damaging itself by surrendering the issue of climate change to the Democratic Party. (ClimateWire)
• The Natural Resources Defense Council on Tuesday became the latest environmental group to hit Republican Illinois Senator Mark Kirk with an ad campaign slamming his vote against the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)
SOLAR:
• Democrat presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced legislation Tuesday that would establish a federal fund to help low-income families access solar power. (The Hill)
• Solar installations grew by more than 300 percent across the state of New York between 2011 and 2014, according to state officials. (PV Tech)
• Detroit-based GreenLancer has developed a template and workflow that can cut through red tape so solar installers can obtain needed permits more smoothly and easily. (Midwest Energy News)
OIL: U.S. oil production edged down in May and will likely continue swooning until early next year as plunging crude prices continue pummeling domestic producers, according to a new federal report. (FuelFix)
NEW YORK CITY: With New York City’s buildings responsible for three-quarters of its carbon emissions, updating building codes is the simplest, most effective way to slash emissions, according to a new report. (InsideClimate News)
COMMENTARY: New generation nuclear will need to be incorporated into the meme of a safe and reliable if we are to ensure a sustainable energy future. (The Hill)