CLEAN POWER PLAN: While most in the electric sector are fighting the federal rules in court, some utilities are siding with the U.S. EPA. (EnergyWire)
ALSO:
• Faith groups submit a brief supporting the Clean Power Plan, citing “a moral imperative to protect the earth and all its inhabitants from a climate crisis of our own making.” (Catholic Sentinel)
• While trying to fight Clean Power Plan compliance, Colorado lawmakers temporarily strip funding from the state’s air quality program. (Denver Business Journal)
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OFFSHORE DRILLING: A federal judge approves a $20 billion settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, agreeing the company was “grossly negligent” in the disaster that killed 11 people. (Associated Press)
COAL:
• Costs for the Kemper “clean coal” plant in Mississippi rise another $18 million, and now stand at $6.6 billion. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• Wyoming’s governor pledges support for laid-off coal miners. (SNL Energy)
• A judge rejects $28 million in restitution claims against former coal executive Don Blankenship, which means the most he could pay for violating safety rules is a $250,000 fine. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
CLIMATE:
• The White House issues a new report saying extreme heat will kill nearly 30,000 Americans annually by 2100. (Climate Central)
• Maryland’s governor signs a bill to cut state greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030. (Washington Post)
GRID:
• A New York utility eliminates the need for a new $1.2 billion substation with a combination of distributed energy and efficiency. (InsideClimate News)
• The ongoing need for infrastructure upgrades means utility bills are rising even though power is cheaper. (Bloomberg)
SOLAR:
• A new report says the U.S. community solar market could be worth $2.5 billion by 2020. (CleanTechnica)
• Installers say a new Arizona law will cause further backlogs for new systems. (Arizona Republic)
• Advocates push back on a Tennessee utility’s plan to eliminate net metering and impose a demand charge on solar customers. (Kingsport Times News)
• Advocates in an Oregon town proposed an ordinance requiring solar panels on all new buildings. (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
FRACKING:
• A former EPA scientists explains why he persisted with research into water contamination in Wyoming after leaving the agency. (ClimateWire)
• Colorado lawmakers kill a bill that would have granted more local control over drilling. (Denver Business Journal)
PIPELINES:
• The Keystone pipeline is shut down after a leak is discovered at a South Dakota pumping station. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)
• Opponents of a planned New England natural gas pipeline plan to pack public hearings in the coming weeks; a Massachusetts property owned by Bill Cosby is among those impacted. (Eagle-Tribune, MassLive)
NUCLEAR: Experts say a planned natural gas pipeline in New York has the potential to cause a meltdown at a nearby nuclear plant. (The Guardian)
COMMENTARY:
• How losing net metering could create an opportunity for the solar industry. (Greentech Media)
• The U.S. can’t transition to renewable energy “if landowners and local regulators stand in the way.” (New York Times)