SOLAR: A new report predicts that Texas developers will build about 4 gigawatts of commercial-scale solar panel capacity by the end of the decade, threatening coal- and natural gas-fired power producers during peak daylight hours. (Bloomberg)
ALSO:
• Leases and power purchase agreements offer solar consumers significantly lower savings than loans, which allow consumers to access up to 80 percent of their system’s financial benefits. (Greentech Media)
• Over 70 percent of U.S. ground-mount projects are being installed with solar trackers, and global tracker installations are expected to reach 37.7 gigawatts by 2021, according to a new report. (Greentech Media)
• A solar developer wants to build Maine’s largest solar farm at a former Air Force base, but regulatory hurdles still lie ahead for the company. (Associated Press)
• An Arizona judge recommends changes in the state’s value of solar docket that would forecast costs every five years, rather than every 20 to 30 years, while solar advocates say it could hurt rooftop solar users. (Utility Dive)
• A Utah mayor is vetoing a new fee for rooftop solar customers that a city council passed last week, which would have added roughly $19 per month to solar owners’ bills. (Deseret News)
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WIND:
• A group opposed to large-scale wind projects is setting up a sound-monitoring station at a cabin in Vermont to prove that wind turbines can cause physical ailments. (Associated Press)
• General Electric is buying a Danish company that manufactures wind turbine blades, which will allow the Massachusetts-based company to design and manufacture its own parts. (Boston Business Journal)
CLIMATE: Two Colorado counties offer a perspective on why climate change is dividing Americans and show that local energy economies play a major role. (Christian Science Monitor)
CAP-AND-TRADE: President Obama’s top energy adviser says putting an economy-wide price on carbon would be the easiest way to reduce emissions, but Congress is unlikely to approve such legislation. (The Hill)
POLITICS: Where the presidential candidates stand on U.S. energy independence and why it matters. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: Utilities are left in a bind to either increase renewable energy capacity or risk losing customers as large corporations seek to boost their renewable portfolios. (Midwest Energy News)
PIPELINES:
• At least nine environmental activists are arrested for shutting down pipelines carrying oil from Canada into the U.S., using nothing more than a pair of bolt cutters. (The Hill/Reuters)
• Construction resumes on part of the four-state Dakota Access Pipeline near a protest camp in North Dakota, with opponents saying they may chain themselves to equipment. (Los Angeles Times)
COAL: Environmental groups in Wyoming are fighting to stop coal giant Peabody Energy from continuing the controversial practice of self-bonding as the company restructures after filing for bankruptcy. (Casper Star Tribune)
COMMENTARY: With a new goal to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, Los Angeles is positioning itself as a role model for other cities. (New York Times)