CLIMATE: New York lawmakers approve a bill that would require greenhouse gas emissions from major sources to be eliminated by 2050. (InsideClimate News)

ALSO:
• Washington state proposes rules to require major industries to cut carbon emissions by 1.7 percent per year. (Seattle Times)
• Officials from West Coast cities and states sign a climate accord. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Outgoing FERC commissioner Tony Clark says the Clean Power Plan is based on a “novel interpretation” of the Clean Air Act. (SNL Energy)

NUCLEAR:
The potential closing of uneconomic nuclear plants is creating a divide among climate scientists about whether to pursue them as a zero-carbon option. (ClimateWire)
Exelon is expected to announce today the first steps toward closing two of its Illinois nuclear plants after the state legislature adjourns without taking action on utility-backed bills. (WTTW, RTO Insider)

RENEWABLES:
• Federal data show non-hydropower renewables provided more than 10 percent of U.S. electricity for the first time earlier this year. (SNL Energy)
• Researchers outline a roadmap for how the Midwest could get to 100 percent renewables through wind, water and solar by 2050. (Midwest Energy News)

SOLAR:
• An Arizona utility proposes new demand charges for all ratepayers, with solar customers paying the highest rate. (Greentech Media)
• Advocates say storage should be included in a major California solar initiative. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A California utility proposes reviving its solar program, but with significantly lower rates for customers. (Palm Springs Desert Sun)
• A Republican Georgia regulator explains how he became one of the state’s leading solar proponents. (Southeast Energy News)

OIL AND GAS:
• An analysis finds Colorado is imposing tougher fines for drilling violations. (Associated Press)
• A federal court sides with environmental groups in a pollution case against a Texas refinery. (The Hill)
• Banks are setting aside more assets to deal with delinquent loans to oil and gas producers. (Denver Post)

FRACKING:
• Colorado State University scientists say more research is needed into the long-term effects of fracking chemical spills. (Coloradoan)
• An anti-fracking ballot initiative in Michigan falls short of the needed petition signatures to get on the ballot, but the group says it is challenging a state law on the timeframe for obtaining signatures. (MLive)

COAL:
The EPA will require Utah coal plants to cut emissions to reduce haze in national parks. (Deseret News)
• California lawmakers pass a bill to require environmental reviews for a proposed Oakland coal export terminal. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• A leading environmental group says arsenic levels have dropped significantly since coal ash was removed from a South Carolina site. (The State)

POLLUTION: New techniques will help scientists better map sulfur dioxide sources. (Washington Post)

COMMENTARY: 
• 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year for solar. (The Hill)
• Transitioning to low-carbon standards rather than renewable energy standards may be a solution to saving nuclear plants. (Greentech Media)
• How California can avoid blackouts and another natural gas disaster. (Los Angeles Times)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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