CLEAN POWER PLAN: A group of Democratic state attorneys general advise Donald Trump not to repeal the Clean Power Plan, telling him the decision would lead to an inevitable lawsuit. (The Hill)
WIND: President-elect Donald Trump sent a series of letters to Scotland’s former first minister, alleging wind farms would “ruin” the country’s coasts. (The Hill)
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SOLAR:
• Panasonic Corp is investing over $256 million in a Tesla Motors plant that will make solar cells in New York. (Reuters)
• Vermont’s major electric company is pushing for economical batteries to store energy from wind farms and solar panels. (Associated Press)
• Nevada regulators vote to restore favorable rates for residential solar customers in part of the state, winning praise from distributed solar advocates. (Greentech Media)
CLIMATE: Environmentalists are skeptical that secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson was sincere when he led Exxon Mobil’s shift on climate change. (New York Times)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: More than half a million electric cars have been sold in the U.S., according to a new report. (Newsweek)
UTILITIES: Five trends that drove the utility industry last year, plus five trends that utilities should watch in 2017. (Greentech Media)
GRID: The Washington Post incorrectly reports that Russian hackers penetrated the U.S. electricity grid in Vermont. (The Intercept)
POLICY:
• Ohio’s governor vetoes a bill that would have extended a freeze on legislation requiring utilities to buy more electricity from renewable sources, drawing praise from environmental groups. (Bloomberg)
• Four critical energy issues to watch in 2017 as Donald Trump attempts to roll back regulations and expand fossil fuel development. (Climate Central)
POLITICS: Governor Rick Snyder talks about Michigan’s energy future and explains how he helped broker the passage of major energy reforms in the state. (Midwest Energy News)
TECHNOLOGY: The top five clean energy advances of 2016. (MIT Technology Review)
FRACKING: Researchers say noise caused by fracking is linked to health problems, including elevated blood pressure, hypertension and heart disease. (Grist)
PIPELINES: Federal regulators issue a report saying the proposed 331-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline would not cause significant harm to the environment. (Charlotte Business Journal)
COAL:
• Things are looking up for the coal industry, but cheap natural gas will create stiff competition. (ClimateWire)
• Coal giant Peabody Energy is butting heads with tribal members over a request to expand a mine on Native American lands in northern Arizona. (New York Times)
• U.S. coal mining fatalities are at record lows for the third year in a row. (Associated Press)
• Charlotte-based Duke energy says it paid over $725 million to clean and excavate its coal ash ponds, and those expenses could be passed on to ratepayers in North Carolina. (Charlotte Business Journal)
CARBON CAPTURE: Supporters are hopeful for new emphasis on carbon capture technology under a Trump presidency. (New York Times)
NUCLEAR:
• After a three-year shutdown, the country’s only permanent nuclear waste disposal site could resume operations in New Mexico this month, according to the Department of Energy. (Reuters)
• A federal judge rules that Duke Energy does not owe over $352 million in development costs related to a canceled nuclear plant project in Florida. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• An energy technology CEO talks about North Carolina’s energy policy and how nuclear power fits into the state’s energy future. (Southeast Energy News)
COMMENTARY:
• A solar industry veteran offers ten predictions for rooftop solar this year. (Greentech Media)
• Most Trump voters want to uphold or strengthen current climate change policies and regulations on drinking water and air pollution, according to a recent survey. (Huffington Post)