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)