OIL & GAS: A new report shows the number of North American oil companies filing for bankruptcy has fallen from 50 to 14 compared to the same period last year. (Houston Chronicle)
ALSO:
• A proposed natural gas export terminal on Oregon’s coast may be revived by new FERC commissioners. (Marketplace)
• A Houston-based oil and gas producer with plans to drill off the coast of Alaska has a troubling safety and environmental track record. (InsideClimate News)
• A group of Republican senators tell President Trump not to sanction Venezuelan oil companies because it could hurt U.S. refiners that depend on Venezuelan oil. (The Hill)
• Local resistance has stalled plans for offshore drilling, and only one coastal governor in the Southeast still supports it. (U.S. News & World Report)
PIPELINES: A water geologist from West Virginia says planned construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through Appalachian mountain ridges is “the worst” place for it and could cause major problems for water resources. (WVTF)
COAL:
• The company that supplies lignite coal to Mississippi’s Kemper power plant will lay off 75 workers at its mine following the announcement that the plant will no longer pursue “clean coal.” (Associated Press)
• An analysis questions whether West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s proposed coal subsidy plan would really help homeland security. (Washington Post)
• Politicians are ignoring the fact that coal-fired power plants are shutting down all over the country, and they employ more people than coal mines. (Bloomberg)
POLLUTION: Polluters are fined 60 percent less for environmental violations under the Trump administration than under the past three presidents, according to a new report. (Washington Post)
NUCLEAR:
• Researchers say next-generation nuclear reactors are unlikely to materialize within the next 30 years due to an “incoherent” research program at the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy. (Climate News Network)
• A weekly podcast explores the history behind two failed nuclear reactor projects in South Carolina. (Greentech Media)
• Although a company failed to build two new nuclear reactors in South Carolina and is now seeking to recoup billions from customers, it paid its executives millions in bonuses. (Associated Press)
• The Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia needs billions of dollars promised by Toshiba to complete construction. (WABE)
UTILITIES: A report from two watchdog groups says utilities have made more political donations to national Republican groups than for Democrats, likely for candidates’ willingness to challenge EPA regulations. (Utility Dive)
REGULATION: Two commissioners are sworn onto the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, giving it a quorum for the first time in six months. (The Hill)
RENEWABLES:
• Rhode Island’s governor signs multiple bills designed to expand the state’s clean energy industry, which includes adding 400 megawatts of solar and wind capacity between 2020 and 2029. (Utility Dive)
• Orlando, Florida commits to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, joining 37 other U.S. cities. (Orlando Weekly)
SOLAR:
• A New Jersey solar project may cost county residents more than $26 million due to a “truly perfect storm of incompetence,” according to the findings of a new report. (Associated Press)
• There are over 40 proceedings underway to increase charges on residential solar customers across 25 states, but regulators of skeptical of utilities’ proposals, according to a new report. (Utility Dive)
• Rocky Mountain Power starts an initiative to let Utah solar subscribers go online and view where their individual panels are using a map of a solar plant. (Deseret News)
• Advocates in Ohio are leading a new program that aims to reduce the “soft costs” of residential solar installations in the state’s Appalachian coal region. (Midwest Energy News)
WIND:
• Target agrees to buy 100 megawatts of wind power from a project in Kansas. (Bloomberg)
• An illustrated guide to the increasing size of wind turbines. (Greentech Media)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new company plans to start selling and leasing medium-duty electric trucks within weeks. (Greentech Media, Los Angeles Times)
COMMENTARY:
• Suniva and SolarWorld’s petition calling for tariffs on imported solar panels is an ill-conceived effort that could cost 88,000 Americans their jobs, says the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. (Greentech Media)
• The Trump administration and Congress should not waste time on West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s proposal for a subsidy to the Appalachian coal industry. (Washington Post)