CLIMATE: Most of the 27 states fighting the Clean Power Plan are already on track to meet their targets. (Reuters)
ALSO: Researchers say “it’s no longer appropriate” to say science can’t determine whether climate change is to blame for individual weather events. (InsideClimate News)
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GRID:
• A Wyoming data center will provide backup power to the state’s grid. (EnergyWire)
• Grid operators around the country are exploring a wide range of potential fixes to what’s known as the “duck curve” problem in which solar production and demand peaks don’t align. (Midwest Energy News)
UTILITIES:
• A major Nevada casino chain expects to start seeing a payback after seven years after leaving its utility. (Greentech Media)
• A California court agrees to review a controversial decision by state regulators approving a $2.2 billion natural gas plant. (Los Angeles Times)
SOLAR:
• The World Trade Organization rejects a complaint by India that targeted several states’ solar policies. (Reuter)
• Maine regulators propose to phase out net metering over 15 years for existing customers and 10 years for new projects. (RTO Insider)
• Solar advocates turn their attention to opposing a utility-backed solar bill in Florida. (Tallahassee Democrat)
POLICY:
• Why renewable of federal tax incentives wasn’t followed by another surge in wind and solar development. (Bloomberg)
• San Diego’s 100 percent renewable energy target comes with an important caveat regarding natural gas. (Voice of San Diego)
POLITICS: Critics describe a “tortuous and sordid history” of state legislation providing incentives for a prominent fuel cell company. (Los Angeles Times)
OIL AND GAS:
• New York’s attorney general expands a probe into Exxon Mobil to include the company’s accounting practices. (Wall Street Journal)
• Maryland regulators say they will miss a deadline to establish new regulations for fracking. (Baltimore Sun)
PIPELINES:
• A federal appeals court orders a halt to construction on another section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. (Associated Press)
• The Dakota Access protest site has created a new school for children and an increasingly organized system to deliver supplies there. (Associated Press)
• Why tribal pushback on Dakota Access could have implications for other types of energy projects. (The Hill)
COAL:
• Mississippi Power says it has started producing the synthetic gas needed to generate electricity at its Kemper “clean coal” power plant. (Meridian Star)
• Coal producers are somewhat optimistic as they emerge from bankruptcy. (Casper Star-Tribune)
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BIOFUELS: While the Renewable Fuel Standard has exerted significant economic influence in the U.S., there is “hardly consensus” about whether it has delivered on initial promises of emissions reductions and less dependence on foreign oil. (New York Times)
COMMENTARY:
• States are reaping the economic benefits of renewable energy standards. (Morning Consult)
• The declining cost of wind power is “significantly affecting the mix of fuels used for generation at regional and state levels.” (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
• A Maine newspaper says the legislature, not the state utility commission, is the place to resolve conflicts over net metering. (Kennebec Journal)