FRACKING BANS:
• A Maryland bill to prohibit fracking for more than two years became law Saturday without Governor Larry Hogan’s signature. (The Daily Record)
• Oklahoma cities and counties will no longer be able to ban fracking or other oil and gas operations within their boundaries under a bill signed into law on Friday by the governor. (Associated Press)
ETHANOL: The EPA released its three-year proposed ethanol mandate on Friday, increasing the amount of the biofuel it wants mixed into the gasoline supply but at levels below those set by law. (The Hill)
COAL: Some 10.2 billion tons of coal on 106,000 acres of public land were authorized for sale by the Obama administration Friday. (Motherboard)
FUEL ECONOMY: This week the EPA is expected to propose regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks, requiring that their fuel economy increase up to 40 percent by 2027. (The New York Times)
EPA RULES:
• The U.S. House will vote in June on bills combating EPA regulation of power plant emissions and coal ash, according to the majority leader’s office. (The Hill)
• New Mexico is among several states pushing back on the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, citing the breadth of the proposal and the lack of input on the plan as illegal. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
DRILLING:
• Another 13 oil rigs were idled last week, reducing the total to 646, while active gas rigs rose by three to 225. (FuelFix)
• Environmental groups were baffled Thursday after President Obama wrote a series of tweets justifying Shell being allowed back into the U.S. Arctic for oil exploration and drilling. (Guardian)
SOLAR:
• Walmart will soon break ground on its 300th solar power site, expanding its photovoltaic output to 100 megawatts across 14 states and Puerto Rico. (ClimateWire)
• The Solar Impulse 2 took off early on Sunday for a six-day, six-night flight over the Pacific Ocean, the most ambitious leg of its quest to circumnavigate the globe powered only by the sun. (Guardian)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Following in the footsteps of Tesla and BMW, Ford is giving rivals around the globe access to its portfolio of patents related to electric vehicle technology. (The Christian Science Monitor)
GREEN BONDS: Corporations, development banks, municipalities and other institutions will issue $100 billion in green bonds this year, according to Moody’s Investors Service. (ClimateWire)
CARBON PRICING: Six major energy companies have written to the United Nations asking for help in setting up a carbon pricing scheme to address climate change. (The Independent)
EMISSIONS: Three-quarters of the world’s annual emissions of greenhouse gases are now limited by national targets, according to a new study published today. (ScienceDaily)