WIND: The operator of about 800 turbines in a California wind farm notorious for causing thousands of bird deaths is shutting down. (Contra Costa Times)
NUCLEAR: Citing poor economics, Entergy is shutting down a third nuclear plant, this time in New York. (Bloomberg)
CLIMATE:
• More than 40 environmental and social justice groups demand a federal investigation of ExxonMobil’s role in broader efforts to mislead the public on climate change. (New York Times)
• How Boulder, Colorado’s carbon tax is helping drive clean energy in the city. (InsideClimate News)
SOLAR: In a victory for solar advocates, a Wisconsin judge rejects a utility’s plan for fees on customers with solar installations that critics say undermined distributed generation. (Midwest Energy News)
CLEAN ECONOMY: Representatives from major U.S. companies explain what they’ve learned from their push for clean energy. (Greentech Media)
POLITICS:
More conservative groups are pushing for clean energy. (New Yorker)
A nonprofit spotlights how the Koch brothers advance their political agenda with donations to colleges. (Center for Public Integrity)
OIL AND GAS:
• As prices remain low, U.S. drillers continue to cut rigs, and Chevron announces it is cutting 10 percent of its workforce. (Reuters)
• Montana tribes fight a plan to drill on sacred land near Glacier National Park. (High Country News)
• More than 1,400 individuals and entities apply to intervene in proceedings over a proposed Pennsylvania natural gas pipeline. (Allentown Morning Call)
STORAGE:
• A Colorado utility seeks permission for a large-scale storage project near Denver’s airport. (Denver Business Journal)
• While batteries are becoming more advanced, market expectations are moving faster. (ClimateWire)
COAL:
• Democrat senators push for higher royalties for the federal coal mining program to account for carbon costs. (Reuters)
• As coal fades from energy policy debates nationally, it remains front-and-center in West Virginia. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
EFFICIENCY: On-bill financing is spreading among Midwest utilities as a way to help utility customers pay for costly efficiency upgrades. (Midwest Energy News)
NEWSMAKER: An “unsung hero” who streamlined permitting for clean energy projects on federal land is retiring. (Greenwire)
COMMENTARY: Wyoming needs to face reality on coal. (Casper Star-Tribune)