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)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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