CLEAN POWER PLAN: Officials from 24 states write a letter asking Donald Trump to scrap the Clean Power Plan on his first day in office. (The Hill)
POLITICS:
• Department of Energy staffers describe a “climate of fear” as Donald Trump’s presidency approaches. (Quartz)
• What influence will Tesla CEO Elon Musk have in his new role as an economic adviser to Donald Trump? (Greentech Media)
• It wouldn’t be easy for energy secretary nominee Rick Perry to dismantle the Department of Energy, as he proposed doing in 2011. (Greenwire)
POLICY:
• The city of Portland, Oregon, passes the country’s first ban on new bulk fossil fuel storage facilities and forbids existing terminals from expanding in size. (The Oregonian)
• Michigan legislators approve a sweeping rewrite of state energy policy, which includes new approval processes for replacing coal-fired power plants and an expanded renewable energy standard. (Detroit News)
COAL: A federal judge approves a $900,000 civil penalty to resolve allegations of Clean Water Act violations from coal mines owned by West Virginia’s governor-elect, Jim Justice. (Associated Press)
PIPELINES:
• The Dakota Access Pipeline fight has been centered in North Dakota, but the project also threatens water resources in three other states. (Associated Press)
• North Dakota’s new governor says he is in favor of the Dakota Access Pipeline, calling it a “legally permitted project” that has been stalled by the Obama administration. (Associated Press)
• The Army Corps of Engineers purposefully withheld studies that could have helped a North Dakota tribe evaluate the risks associated with the Dakota Access Pipeline. (High Country News)
• Cleanup crews have recovered less than half of the 3,100 barrels of oil that leaked from a pipeline into a North Dakota creek last week. (Reuters)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Tax credits and incentive programs are helping to boost solar and geothermal installations in Maryland. (Baltimore Sun)
WIND:
• Power companies with large renewable holdings are starting to invest more heavily in wind due to attractive subsidies. (Reuters)
• Clean energy advocates say the Trump administration needs to focus on the nation’s transmission infrastructure to ensure the growth of the wind industry. (Utility Dive)
SOLAR:
• A new policy guide outlines the five best practices for community solar stakeholders. (Utility Dive)
• How a federal law has helped Oregon become one of the top 10 states for solar installations. (Portland Business Journal)
STORAGE: Residential and commercial energy storage could grow from 15 percent of the market to half of deployments by 2021 with the help of financing and new business models, according to a new report. (Greentech Media)
EFFICIENCY: California adopts the country’s first energy efficiency standards for computers and monitors. (Los Angeles Times)
NUCLEAR: With only two nuclear sites currently under construction in the U.S., the industry is hopeful that the Trump administration will give nuclear power a boost. (EnergyWire)
BIOGAS: A $100 million biogas plant under construction in North Carolina will use swine waste to produce enough power for about 10,000 homes. (Charlotte Business Journal)
UTILITIES: California regulators want a utility to renegotiate parts of a 2014 nuclear plant settlement due to “unreported ex parte communications and ethics violations.” (Utility Dive)
GRID: A new report offers a roadmap for how to redesign the U.S. power grid. (Midwest Energy News)
COMMENTARY:
• Overturning the Obama administration’s decision to stop oil and gas leases in the Arctic Ocean doesn’t make sense, because the practice is risky, expensive and unnecessary. (RealClear Energy)
• Regardless of what Donald Trump’s administration might do, the private sector will likely forge ahead on climate change and renewable energy. (Greentech Media)