EFFICIENCY: President Trump’s plan to eliminate the Energy Star and Weatherization Assistance programs will hurt job growth and cost taxpayers money, according to a new report. (ThinkProgress)
SOLAR:
• The solar industry is continuing to grow under the Trump administration, thanks largely to state incentives, low prices and a solar investment tax credit. (Washington Post)
• A bill moving through North Carolina’s legislature promises to end the standoff between the solar industry and Duke Energy while tripling the state’s capacity, but critics question the long-term outlook. (Southeast Energy News)
• A solar bill being considered by the North Carolina Senate has a provision that says projects can be inside or outside the state, which would affect Duke Energy in South Carolina. (Charlotte Business Journal)
WIND: Some residents in central Illinois hope to halt construction on a 139-turbine wind project through litigation. (Decatur Herald & Review)
RENEWABLES: While countries from around the world say they plan to double energy research budgets, Energy Secretary Rick Perry tells energy ministers that President Trump’s proposed research cuts will leave technology development to private companies. (Associated Press)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new car-sharing service in Los Angeles will bring 100 electric cars and 200 electric vehicle charging stations to the city. (Los Angeles Times)
GRID:
• More than two-thirds of consumers are aware of the smart grid and smart meter technology, but many don’t know how to participate, according to a recent survey. (Greentech Media)
• Researchers with the Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium in Illinois are working to build trust in the power grid, particularly when faced with cybersecurity threats. (Midwest Energy News)
• California’s clean energy mandates have put the state at the forefront of grid technology and renewables integration. (Greentech Media)
CLIMATE:
• In a recent court filing, Exxon Mobil lashed out at New York’s attorney general for his ongoing investigation into whether the company misled investors about the potential costs of climate change, calling the inquiry a “political witch hunt.” (New York Times)
• The Trump administration is taking “drastic” legal measures to block a climate change lawsuit brought by a group of young people. (Mashable)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: The White House is reviewing the EPA’s proposed reconsideration of the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)
OIL & GAS:
• California regulators green-light a study of clean energy alternatives to a proposed natural gas plant. (Los Angeles Times)
• A Texas judge overturns a $2.4 million fine that was imposed on an oil company after its refinery exploded in Washington in 2010, killing seven workers. (Huffington Post)
PIPELINES: Five citizen groups file a petition in federal appeals court to overturn the West Virginia DEQ’s approval of a Clean Water Act authorization for a proposed natural gas pipeline. (Associated Press)
COAL:
• A coal mine shuts down in western Colorado, leaving seven active mines in the state and reducing miner employment to 995. (Denver Post)
• President Trump made misleading claims about new mines and “clean coal” in his recent speeches, according to an analysis. (Washington Post)
• Montana’s coal mines are on track for the lowest production in a decade, according to industry records. (Billings Gazette)
• The Energy Department announces $6.9 million in funding toward extracting rare earth minerals from coal and mining waste, which could be a potential lifeline for the coal industry. (news release, Washington Examiner)
• As Mississippi Power’s Kemper “clean coal” project struggles, President Trump wants to cut research and development funds that could help it. (Seeker)
NUCLEAR:
• Toshiba Corp. will pay $3.68 billion toward the construction of the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia, allowing the project to continue. (Associated Press)
• Exelon’s Clinton nuclear power plant in Illinois is back online after a planned outage and a year after its fate was uncertain. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: California’s second most heavily used independent power plant may shut down because grid operators say its location is no longer ideal. (Los Angeles Times)
COMMENTARY:
• Virginia’s governor encourages other states to take action on clean energy. (Washington Post)
• The Energy Department’s assertion that renewables will inherently destabilize the grid is nonsense, says a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.