WIND:
• The U.S. has the second most installed wind capacity in the world and is number one in wind electricity generated, according to a new report. (Vox)
• Rural residents in Maine want a greater voice in wind proposals that currently go directly to the state for review. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Stakeholders and lawmakers debate over Maine’s future net-metering policy. (Utility Dive)
• The Texas Public Utilities Commission approves a settlement to drop a demand charge and a $15 monthly fixed fee to rooftop solar users. (Solar Industry)
• An Arizona utility is testing new technology that could benefit its 1.2 million ratepayers by installing rooftop solar projects with advanced inverters. (Greentech Media)
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FRACKING: Former Interior Department officials are supporting the Obama administration in a federal court fight, saying a Wyoming judge was wrong to strike down the department’s fracking regulations. (The Hill)
OIL & GAS:
• U.S. producers put 76 oil rigs back to work in eight weeks, marking the biggest and longest increase since 2014, according to new data. (Bloomberg)
• Los Angeles planning officials will investigate whether an oil drilling site is in violation of city regulations, following complaints about foul smells and noise. (Los Angeles Times)
• Environmentalists are challenging federal government plans to lease more than 19,000 Montana acres for oil and gas exploration, saying federal officials have failed to consider climate damage. (Billings Gazette)
PIPELINES: A Georgia Republican lawmaker explains why he’s fighting a $1 billion pipeline that would carry gasoline and diesel fuel from South Carolina to Florida. (Southeast Energy News)
COAL:
• Four Utah counties are withdrawing their application to invest $53 million of public money in a deep-water port in California after a city council voted to ban coal handling and storage within its jurisdiction. (San Francisco Business Times)
• A county treasurer in Colorado rejected an insufficient property tax payment from bankrupt coal company Peabody Energy, then spent her own money to tell the public why. (Denver Post)
• Alienated coal miners in West Virginia see Donald Trump as their only choice. (New York Times)
• Environmental groups reach a settlement to restore damage from mountaintop coal removal in West Virginia. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: Chicago-based Exelon prepares for legal challenges to New York’s plan to subsidize struggling nuclear plants. (EnergyWire)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
• Increased efficiency saves the U.S. “an enormous amount” of annual energy, totaling 58 quads, according to a new report. (Washington Post)
• Energy efficiency programs in five Southwest states have saved customers billions since 2008, according to a new report. (Deseret News)
GRID: Researchers in Illinois revive the debate over alternating current and direct current as it’s applied to a local microgrid. (Midwest Energy News)
CAP-AND-TRADE: While cap-and-trade funds stall in debate, California businesses feel the hit. (Los Angeles Times)
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BIOFUEL: A Hawaii utility plans to break ground on a $167 million biofuel power plant in Oahu. (Pacific Business News)
COMMENTARY: New York City should cut emissions by fueling its heavy-duty trucks with renewable natural gas emitted by decomposing organic waste. (New York Times)