OFFSHORE DRILLING: The White House is expected to announce as early as today that it will withdraw plans to allow permits for oil and gas drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast. (New York Times)
RENEWABLES: Wind and solar are expected to make up 60 percent of new capacity in Texas in 2016. (SNL Energy)
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NUCLEAR: Five years later, the U.S. nuclear industry is still learning from the the Fukushima disaster. (EnergyWire)
SOLAR:
• A new report outlines the economic benefits of encouraging solar power in low-income communities. (Midwest Energy News)
• Massachusetts mayors warn a change in solar legislation could jeopardize municipal projects. (Associated Press)
• Local officials in Arizona are expected to decide on Monday whether to approve a massive 70 MW solar project. (Kingman Daily Miner)
• A Nebraska cattle ranch unveils its 600 kW solar array, the largest in the state. (North Platte Telegraph)
• Sunrun’s business is still thriving despite exiting Nevada over the state’s net metering changes. (PV Tech)
WIND:
• Developers are planning a 400 MW offshore wind farm in Hawaii. (Pacific Business News)
• Wind supplied nearly 20 percent of electricity to the grid in Texas in February. (Platts)
• A group works to open up opportunities for women in Oregon’s wind industry. (Public News Service)
COAL:
• “Clean” coal technologies developed in the U.S. could find a market in China. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Two Midwest coal barons may see their empires begin to crumble. (Bloomberg Business)
• Peabody Energy announces layoffs at Wyoming coal mines. (St. Louis Business Journal)
• Penn State University plans to convert a campus steam plant from coal to natural gas as part of its carbon reduction efforts. (Daily Collegian)
OIL AND GAS:
• Investors are starting to warm back up to the oil sector. (New York Times)
• At a campaign rally, Ohio Gov. John Kasich says “we are beginning to see a rebound” in the oil and gas industry. (Youngstown Vindicator)
FRACKING: Environmentalists and oil companies gird for a rematch over who should regulate hydraulic fracturing in Florida. (EnergyWire)
VW: A former Volkswagen employee says the company destroyed documents related to its emissions scandal, and that he was fired for refusing to participate. (Associated Press)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Seattle’s mayor wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s vehicle fleet in half by 2025. (Seattle Times)
COMMENTARY: Why solar arrays should use native landscaping. (CleanTechnica)