CLIMATE: New research says climate models may overstate the ability of cloud cover to limit global warming. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• A subpeona from the U.S. Virgin Islands seeks to uncover donor records for a conservative D.C. think tank backed by fossil fuel interests. (InsideClimate News)
• Why New Hampshire is the only New England state not participating in a national climate coalition. (Concord Monitor)
• How San Diego’s Republican mayor helped the city become a leader on climate action. (ClimateWire)
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RENEWABLES:
• A new report finds that states have been successful at meeting renewable portfolio targets at relatively little cost, while 60 percent of all growth in renewables since 2000 is associated with the policies. (EnergyWire)
• High amounts of wind and solar are disrupting energy markets in Texas and California. (MIT Technology Review)
PIPELINES: TransCanada reports nearly 17,000 gallons of oil has leaked from the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota, which will remain closed until early next week. (Associated Press)
OIL AND GAS:
• EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy says new methane rules will ensure “sustainable” oil and gas development. (The Hill)
• A Louisiana parish will appeal to the state Supreme Court in its effort to block new drilling. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
• The oil glut isn’t stopping an Estonian company from continuing to pursue shale development in Utah. (Deseret News)
SOLAR:
• A proposed Minnesota law would encourage planting habitat for birds and pollinators around community solar projects. (Audubon Magazine)
• California officials explore solar as a way to hedge against expected natural gas shortfalls resulting from the Aliso Canyon shutdown. (PV Tech)
• The U.S. Navy plans a 32 MW solar project in New Jersey. (Asbury Park Press)
• New technology could allow solar panels to produce electricity even when it rains. (Science Daily)
WIND: SunEdison’s financial troubles fuel opposition to a wind farm it’s proposing to build in Maine. (Portland Press Herald)
NUCLEAR: The declining cost of renewable energy is making it difficult for nuclear plants to compete. (National Public Radio)
COAL ASH: The chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says it will advocate for residents living near ash disposal sites in North Carolina and elsewhere. (Winston-Salem Journal)
BIOENERGY: Concerned about his state’s logging industry, Maine’s governor asks Massachusetts to reconsider a change to renewable energy rules that affects wood-fired biomass plants. (Associated Press)
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TRANSPORTATION: New York will offer $2,000 rebates for electric and hydrogen vehicles. (AutoBlog)
COMMENTARY:
• Linking California’s grid with its neighbors could help solve its oversupply problem, but it’s easier said than done. (Vox)
• Why the U.S. will probably fall short of its ambitious fuel economy goal for cars. (Yale E360)