EMISSIONS: U.S. federal agencies must quantify greenhouse gas emissions and potential climate change impacts resulting from their decisions, according to a policy update that’s being hailed as “a game-changer.” (Reuters)

ALSO:
• The EPA says automakers must introduce more fuel-saving technology for the country to meet its fuel economy targets. (Bloomberg)
• Thirteen states are suing the Obama administration over a new EPA rule that limits methane emissions at oil and natural gas sites. (The Hill)

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FRACKING: Colorado Representative Jared Polis gives $25,000 to a group that supports local control over fracking in the state. (The Hill)

BIOFUELS: An ethanol industry association is asking the government to probe into a recent price spike in biofuels credits. (Reuters)

PIPELINES:
• An Oklahoma-based company expects to start construction on a 115-mile pipeline that will provide natural gas to utility companies in northwest Georgia. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• A judge cuts nearly all of a potential $562 million fine against a California utility accused of negligence in a 2010 pipeline blast that killed eight people. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Utah residents preview one of the electric buses coming to Salt Lake City in 2018 as part of a $5.4 million grant.  (Deseret News)
• Residents are offering their personal charging stations to fellow electric vehicle drivers in a network hailed as the “Airbnb of charging.” (ClimateWire)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Exxon Mobil invests $15 million for renewable energy research at the University of Texas. (Dallas Business Journal)

WIND:
• Massachusetts’ clean energy bill is good news for offshore wind. (InsideClimate News)
• An Iowa Republican wins support from a new wind energy political organization. (The Hill)

COAL:
• North Carolina residents living near Duke Energy coal ash pits were lied to about a cancer-causing chemical in their well water, according to a state toxicologist. (Associated Press)
• Pennsylvania-based Consol Energy says it has completely divested from its two West Virginia mining complexes.  (Pittsburgh Business Times)

UTILITIES: The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will consider whether a $14.8 million rate hike is needed to pay for a new gas-fired generation unit. (Denver Post)

REGULATION: Massachusetts is likely to become the third state to pass targets for energy storage procurement. (Greentech Media)

POLLUTION: Unlike other states, Texas fails to track spills of wastewater at oil and gas sites. (EnergyWire)

COMMENTARY:
• Long-term power-purchase agreements don’t reduce risk for corporations and threaten the long-term reputation of the renewables sector. (Greentech Media)
• Prompted by demand and progressive government policies, electric utilities are learning to install energy storage in a matter of months. (Forbes)
• Extending the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to 2030 and lowering the annual limit on emissions will ensure it stays successful. (ThinkProgress)