SOLAR: In a blow to environmental groups and solar installers, Maine’s governor vetoes a bill for the second time that would have kept net-metering incentives in place. (Portland Press Herald)

ALSO:
• The governor of Washington signs a bill extending financial incentives for solar. (Seattle Times)
• Environmental groups launch a crowdfunding campaign to build solar panels along the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline. (Wisconsin Gazette)

STORAGE: Virginia-based AES is teaming up with Siemens to create a utility-scale energy storage company that will operate worldwide. (Greentech Media)

WIND: Dominion Energy says it will partner with a Danish company to build two wind turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach, which would be the second offshore wind farm in the U.S. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Troubled electric car start-up Faraday Future is abandoning plans to construct a $1 billion manufacturing plant in Nevada. (Los Angeles Times)
• Several utilities across the Midwest are backing the push to use Volkswagen settlement funds for electric school buses. (Midwest Energy News)
• The first electric school bus in the Midwest will begin transporting students in a suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul school district this fall. (Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE:
• Virginia could join a regional carbon trading effort, as Gov. Terry McAuliffe pushes the state to aggressively act to curb greenhouse gas emissions. (Southeast Energy News)
• Along with Virginia, New Jersey is also considering re-joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. (E&E News)
• California’s governor announces a proposal to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program until 2030, while imposing stricter penalties on polluters. (Los Angeles Times)

REGULATION:
• Supporters of an Obama-era rule to limit methane emissions speak out during a public hearing at the EPA, saying “there is no commonsense reason” for a proposed 2-year delay. (ThinkProgress)
• A coalition of tribal and environmental groups files a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from delaying methane rules. (ThinkProgress)
• The Trump administration’s effort to scale back regulations is being conducted by political appointees with deep industry ties and potential conflicts, according to information obtained by The New York Times and ProPublica. (New York Times)

POLICY: Green groups and progressive organizations send a letter asking senators to oppose an upcoming energy bill, saying it would extend the county’s dependence on fossil fuels. (The Hill)

UTILITIES: Despite significant cost overruns at two major power projects in Georgia and Mississippi, Southern Company should be able to withstand the problems, according to Moody’s Investors Service. (WABE)

OIL & GAS: Louisiana officials are approaching a deadline for a U.S. Supreme Court review of a lawsuit seeking to make oil and gas companies pay for damage to coastal wetlands. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is ordering Energy Transfer Partners to come up with a plan for cleaning spills related to the construction of its Rover gas pipeline. (Associated Press)

COAL: How a Buffalo, New York, suburb successfully retired a coal plant by coming up with a plan to reinvent the town’s tax base and convincing lawmakers to provide a temporary cash infusion. (Grist)

COMMENTARY:
• The Trump administration is talking differently about its approach to energy policy, with a new push for gas trading, nuclear expansion and energy “dominance,” says a writer at Greentech Media.
• Energy analysts say “well-designed wholesale electricity markets and clearly-specified state environmental policies can work together to maintain reliability and decarbonize the electricity sector.” (Utility Dive)
• Volvo’s decision to transition to electric vehicles shows how ethical businesses can shape society for the better, says a columnist for The Guardian.