COAL ASH:
• Tests find more contamination of water wells from a North Carolina coal ash site. (Associated Press)
• North Carolina regulators hire a major law firm to defend against Duke Energy’s “virtually limitless legal resources” in a challenge to a $25 million fine for pollution violations. (Charlotte Business Journal)

EPA:
• A federal court rejects an effort, led by West Virginia and Ohio-based Murray Energy, to halt the Clean Power Plan. (Greenwire)
• A new report projects the Clean Power Plan will be a net job creator. (The Hill)
• The Environmental Council of the States urges the EPA to give advance notice to states, regulators and utilities of the final carbon rule “so we can respond intelligently.” (EnergyWire)

SOLAR:
• Georgia Power will start offering rooftop solar to customers starting in July. (Bloomberg)
• A South Carolina utility is expecting a “rush” of rooftop solar. (Savannah Morning News)
• A community in South Carolina called Sun City repeals its ban on solar panels. (Bluffton Today)

FRACKING:
• U.S. shale production is “grinding to a halt.” (Bloomberg)
• Drilling will likely begin at a controversial Louisiana fracking site within 45 days. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

COAL:
• “We’re really in a crisis here,” say attendees at a West Virginia coal industry forum. (WVNS)
• Arkansas utilities seek to intervene in a plan to reduce haze over national wildlife areas. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

PIPELINES: Opponents of a natural gas pipeline hold a rally at a Virginia farm. (Franklin News-Post)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Duke Energy hopes to purchase biogas from out of state to meet North Carolina’s requirements to produce energy from pig waste. (Charlotte Business Journal)

GRID: At an appearance in New Orleans, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says the U.S. grid faces “a daunting set of complex issues.” (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

COMMENTARY: What it would take to run the U.S. on 100% renewable energy. (Vox)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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