SOLAR:
• More than 3,500 birds died during the 377-megawatt Ivanpah solar project’s first year of operation, a new report estimates. (The Desert Sun)
• Residential and small commercial solar systems are on track to double this year in Rochester, New York, even without planned initiatives to educate property owners about solar and give them price discounts. (Democrat & Chronicle)

OIL:
• A Houston oil field services company reported Friday a net drop that left 932 U.S. rigs standing—down 50 percent from a year ago. (FuelFix)
• Linn Energy will shutter its Denver office and eliminate 55 positions located there, the latest Houston-based oil company to cut back amid a commodity price plunge. (FuelFix)

INDIAN NATION: Blackfeet tribal leaders have joined environmental groups, other American Indian tribes and the band Pearl Jam to campaign for the cancellation of oil and gas leases near Glacier National Park. (Billings Gazette)

COAL:
• A decision over the future of a New Mexico coal plant could reverberate through the entire coal industry and steer renewables debate. (InsideClimate News)
• The U.S. had 600 coal waste sites, many of them concentrated in Appalachia, where local activists say they pose a huge danger to surrounding communities. (Yes! Magazine)

ARCTIC:
• Any type of significant oil spill in Canada’s western Arctic would likely spread quickly and foul oceans around Alaska, a new study says. (The Canadian Press)
• The U.S. is starting its term as chair of the Arctic Council focusing on environmental stewardship of the North.

WIND: Erie County, Pennsylvania, has decided to invest in offshore wind power and joined the Ohio-based Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation in its efforts to bring offshore wind to Lake Erie. (Fierce Energy)

NUCLEAR: The Clean Power Plan rule would allow states to credit 6 percent of their nuclear power toward the emissions reductions, but the industry wants a percentage high enough to incentivize more use of nuclear. (The Hill)

METHANE: California’s carbon pricing system is helping farmers pay for biodigesters that turn methane-rich manure into electricity. (Climate Central)

HYDRO: The lack of water has put a serious crimp in the hydroelectric line at Hoover Dam and other power plants across the West. (The Washington Post)

TRUCKS: A federal appeals court ruled Friday that a group of California companies cannot sue to stop EPA efficiency and greenhouse gas rules for heavy trucks. (The Hill)

FRACKING: Companies fracking for oil and gas are seeking to improve their image and pull in a little extra cash are turning their waste water into clean geothermal power. (World Oil)