WIND:
• Texas has emerged as a global leader in wind production, behind India and slightly ahead of Great Britain. (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
• Meanwhile, the state set new records in wind production as shares of nuclear, gas and coal continue to decline. (Utility Dive)
CAP AND TRADE: California lawmakers are putting pressure on the state to spend $1.4 billion that’s been collected as part of its cap and trade program on clean energy. (Los Angeles Times)
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SOLAR: The announcement of the solar industry’s first securitization is big news and may help bring the energy source to more low-income people. (Huffington Post)
RENEWABLE TAX CREDITS:
• Stock prices surge for solar companies as Congress leans toward extending tax credits for the industry. (Forbes)
• An analysis says extending the solar credit for five years would result in 25 gigawatts of additional capacity and $40 billion in incremental investments over the next five years. (Greentech Media)
• The pending phase-down of the solar Investment Tax Credit through 2022 and wind Production Tax Credit through 2019 still faces final votes to pass Congress. (Greentech Media)
ETHANOL: Iowa voters appear to be growing “strikingly ambivalent” toward ethanol policy. (Los Angeles Times)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: Minnesota “has an excellent bastion of policies” that will help the state comply with the federal rules. (Midwest Energy News)
UTILITIES:
• Experts discuss in Chicago what it will mean to be a “utility of the future.” (Midwest Energy News)
• Commonwealth Edison pushes Illinois lawmakers to approve funding for six microgrids in the state to build resilience. (Microgrid Knowledge)
FRACKING: As Ohio works more closely with other states to develop its natural gas industry, a multi-state collaborative is monitoring development and seeking to “navigate the middle ground” between the industry and its opponents. (Midwest Energy News)
POLLUTION: Air quality regulators in California’s Bay Area adopt new policies to curb air pollution from regional oil refineries, but postpone action on other proposals to reduce greenhouse gases. (San Jose Mercury News)
GRID: Industry leaders and federal officials have set out on a plan to build grid security in the event of a natural disaster or major attack. (EnergyWire)
BUDGET:
• Republicans pass on an opportunity to block funding for climate initiatives in the federal budget proposal. (Greenwire)
• Democrats and Republicans claim victory on energy aspects of the federal omnibus budget. (E&E Daily)
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OIL AND GAS: Repealing the crude oil export ban is unlikely to have an immediate impact on oil prices or ease the U.S. industry’s struggles. (New York Times)
COMMENTARY: Big-money Republican donors are least likely to accept the science behind climate change, which is driving politics further right on the issue. (Vox)