WIND: New wind turbines under development could reach as high as 853 feet, making wind energy cheaper and more reliable by taking advantage of steadier winds at higher altitude. (Vox)
ALSO: Hawaii’s largest wind farm comes up with a plan to mitigate bat deaths which includes spending $10 million to preserve habitat and reducing operations at night on some days. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, subscription)
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SOLAR:
• Walmart announces plans to install 23 MW of solar capacity at two distribution centers and 19 stores in Illinois. (CNBC)
• A 58 MW solar project in Utah will supply power for a Facebook data center in Oregon under the terms of a new power purchase agreement. (Solar Power World)
• Solar jobs are declining in Massachusetts, with installers seeing a 55 percent decrease in job demand, according to a new analysis. (Boston Herald)
• Developers begin construction on a 5 MW community solar garden in eastern New York, which is expected to be the largest in the state. (news release)
RENEWABLES: For a rural Colorado co-op, shifting away from coal and toward renewable energy just makes economic sense. (High Country News)
NATURAL GAS: Utility workers are rushing to replace 45 miles of gas pipelines before winter in three Boston suburbs where a series of home explosions killed a teenager last month. (Washington Post, Greentech Media)
PIPELINES: Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe are suing over the five-month shutdown of a North Dakota highway during pipeline protests. (Associated Press)
COAL ASH:
• Six environmental groups file a lawsuit against the U.S. EPA over a rule that gives states more authority over coal ash management. (Utility Dive)
• A North Carolina community learns that 40,000 tons of coal ash sitting just below the surface near a school was recently exposed by rains. (WSOC-TV)
• In a trial against a contractor hired to clean up the 2008 TVA Kingston coal ash spill, a scientist says he was told toxic coal ash was safe enough to eat and that respiratory protection wasn’t needed. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
CLIMATE:
• A record number of scientists are running for public office in the U.S., which could elevate political discussions of climate change. (InsideClimate News)
• Why the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week to intervene in a climate lawsuit is unusual. (Vox)
• To help fund its climate change efforts, Boulder, Colorado is considering creating new car fees scaled to fuel efficiency. (Boulder Daily Camera)
POWER PLANTS: Exelon’s CEO renews his call for a price on carbon emissions as a preferable alternative to subsidies for struggling coal and nuclear plants. (Utility Dive)
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OVERSIGHT:
• A review of social media accounts of top Trump environmental and energy officials finds that many have endorsed conspiracy theories, misinformation and racist jokes. (E&E News)
• Emails show ongoing ties between the EPA’s air quality chief and his former lobbying firm, which works on behalf of multiple fossil fuel interests. (Huffington Post)
• New Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh’s judicial record shows a pattern of favoring industry and support a narrow interpretation of environmental laws. (PRI)
COMMENTARY: Climate advocates say an international fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty may be needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. (The Guardian)