CLEAN POWER PLAN: Oklahoma’s attorney general told a conservative gathering last week that opponents of the Clean Power Plan “are not terribly optimistic” that they’ll succeed in court following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. (ClimateWire)

ALSO: Utilities continue to cut coal consumption even as their states fight EPA rules. (Climate Central)

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SOLAR:
• Nevada’s PUC chair explains the reasoning behind the commission’s recent net metering decision. (KRNV)
• Advocates say a Utah bill will “squash solar generation.” (Deseret News)
• A new chart illustrates the best and worst states for installing rooftop solar. (Fast Company)
• Clean energy advocates now find themselves on the same side as a Wisconsin utility as it seeks state permission for a community solar project. (Midwest Energy News)

COAL:
• Rail statistics foretell continued decline of U.S. coal production. (SNL)
• Utah legislators spar over plans to buy access to a proposed West Coast coal terminal. (Deseret News)
• Washington’s legislature passes a bill allowing a utility to create a fund for the eventual shutdown of a Montana coal plant it owns a stake in. (Associated Press)
• Illinois’ attorney general is considering legal action against a state agency for not enforcing rules that were brokered two years ago to strengthen coal mine oversight. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

OIL AND GAS:
• Southern California’s air quality board fires its leader and reaffirms support for weaker pollution rules favored by industry. (Los Angeles Times)
• Shale producers seek new technologies to get oil and gas out of the ground at lower prices. (Denver Post)
• A court ruling in New Mexico revives a lawsuit over alleged health impacts from oil and gas drilling. (Associated Press)
• A pair of court cases could determine whether oil and gas companies can back out of pipeline contracts. (Reuters)

NUCLEAR: Fundamental disagreements over whether nuclear power offers a safe path to carbon reduction clouds the fuel source’s future. (Climate Central)

EFFICIENCY: A FERC decision is expected to spark rapid growth in demand response markets. (Utility Dive)

TRANSPORTATION: Nevada’s congressional delegation introduces bills to fast-track development of a high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• Low-carbon air travel isn’t likely. (Grist)
• Why rooftop solar isn’t a threat to utilities. (Slate)
• Will electric cars cause the next oil crash? (Vox)