SOLAR: Solar capacity is gaining in urban areas as the number of U.S. cities with more than 50 MW installed climbs to 23, according to a new report. (Greentech Media)
ALSO:
• Michigan looks to remove barriers to solar projects on agricultural land as a way to boost revenue for farmers and meet climate goals. (Energy News Network)
• The number of proposed large-scale solar projects suggests a “boom is coming to the Midwest.” (PV Magazine)
• Small solar companies in Iowa fear legislation to add monthly fees for solar customers could kill the state’s nascent industry. (InsideClimate News)
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RENEWABLES: Some environmental groups want Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to veto a bill increasing the state’s renewable energy standard because it includes subsidies for carbon-emitting waste-to-energy projects. (Baltimore Sun)
WIND:
• U.S. wind energy providers increased capacity by 8% last year, with Texas leading the nation, according to an industry group report. (Houston Public Media)
• Offshore wind proponents say more federal policy certainty and coordination between states is needed for the industry to grow. (WorkBoat)
AVIATION:
• Electrifying aviation is “one of the hottest topics” in aircraft engineering as several companies announce progress toward fully electric flight. (Vox)
• A study finds that “flying cars” could emit fewer greenhouse gases than ground vehicles, but it depends on distances and how many people are riding. (Earther)
MICROGRIDS: Alabama Power’s smart neighborhood microgrid could serve as a model for other microgrids in the U.S. (Greentech Media)
TRANSMISSION:
• Maine regulators are set to vote Thursday on the New England Clean Energy Connect project that would carry Canadian hydropower to Massachusetts. (Press Herald)
• New York’s grid operator chose two transmission projects to relieve system congestion that it says adds the greatest amount of capacity in 30 years. (RTO Insider)
COAL:
• A film about coal mine entrapment inspired by real-life tragedies debuts Friday in several Appalachian states before a wider national release. (Associated Press)
• Appalachian coal community residents tell a Congressional subcommittee that mountaintop removal mining should be stopped until its health effects are better studied. (Ohio Valley Resource)
NUCLEAR:
• Congressional proponents of a plan to store the nation’s nuclear waste at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain seek to double the funding amount proposed to restart licensing. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Minnesota officials say new nuclear plants aren’t the most cost effective way to meet the state’s ambitious carbon-free energy goals. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• A group of renegade nuns that took on a planned natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania see protecting the earth as part of their religious duty. (New Yorker)
• Federal lawmakers introduce bills to extend tax credits for biofuels and tighten regulations on oil and gas pipelines. (E&E News, subscription)
• Natural gas prices have been negative for almost two weeks, largely because of a lack of pipeline space in Texas. (Reuters)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: Republicans warn that the Trump administration’s push to expand offshore drilling off the coast of Florida could cost him votes there. (Politico)
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CLIMATE: Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel tells a U.S. House committee that climate change is a threat to national security. (Omaha World-Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• The savings created by energy efficiency programs are crucial for low-income households in multifamily buildings, a research analyst writes. (ACEEE Blog)
• A wind industry group says strong demand, low costs and new technology are “propelling wind to new heights.” (American Wind Energy Association)