GRID: A leaked draft of the Department of Energy’s controversial grid study says renewables aren’t a major threat to grid reliability, but claims anti-coal policies have “destroyed jobs and economic growth.” (Greentech Media)

RENEWABLES:
• A bill that would require California to reach 100 percent renewable power by 2045 passed a key legislative committee last week. (ThinkProgress)
• Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory remain optimistic, despite the looming threat of budget cuts by the Trump administration. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• The eclipse next month could knock out over 9,000 megawatts of solar power, according to a recent analysis. (Bloomberg)
• Advocates say a provision in North Carolina’s energy bill could open the door to the state’s largest utility cutting net-metering rates. (Southeast Energy News)
• The president of Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky says the timing is right for utility-owned solar in Kentucky on the heels of receiving approval to build three solar projects there. (Charlotte Business Journal)

WIND:
• Wind surpassed coal’s energy capacity factor in April, according to the Energy Information Administration. (Greentech Media)
• Wyoming’s wind industry is thriving, but companies are struggling to find people to work on the wind farms. (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY: Shanghai-based wind giant Envision Energy announces an alliance with U.S. tech companies to provide “the digital foundation for the energy world.” (Greentech Media)

CLIMATE:
• California lawmakers will vote today on whether to extend a revamped version of the state’s cap-and-trade law. (Associated Press, Los Angeles Times)
• The effects of climate change coupled with reductions in federal money could hit states hard. (Washington Post)
• U.S. governors are venturing abroad to counter Trump administration climate and trade policies they see as harmful. (New York Times)

REGULATION: President Trump nominates energy lawyer Kevin McIntyre to chair the five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which currently has only one commissioner. (Associated Press)

COAL:
• The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts coal will be the top source for the country’s power generation in 2017, but just barely. (Herald-Dispatch)
• The Trump administration wants United Nations funding reserved for nations affected by climate change to be used to promote the construction of coal-fired power plants. (Bloomberg)
• Two power plants in the Southeast are examples of coal’s struggle against natural gas. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

PIPELINES: An increase in planned natural gas pipelines out of Appalachia through Ohio is concerning landowners and clean energy advocates who question whether the projects are necessary. (Center for Public Integrity)

COMMENTARY:
• We should encourage lawmakers to implement policies that will restore U.S. nuclear leadership, says the former vice chairman and chief operating officer of Constellation Energy Group. (Baltimore Sun)
• Hawaii’s struggling solar industry is wondering whether crashing residential sales are the new normal, says the president of Hawaii-based ProVision Solar. (Greentech Media)
• The president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition says North Carolina’s proposed wind moratorium would close off an economic development opportunity for rural communities. (News & Observer)