COAL:
• In Texas, Energy Secretary Rick Perry praises a carbon-capture project as a way to advance “conventional sources of energy.” (Texas Tribune)
• EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tells Pennsylvania coal miners that “the regulatory assault is over“; his visit was at a mine owned by a company trying to exit the coal industry because of market forces. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New Republic)
• The Trump administration is postponing enforcement of a rule to prevent toxic wastewater discharges from coal plants. (Washington Post)
• A new poll shows more people think President Trump can save the coal industry, even as most accept climate change. (Greentech Media)

NUCLEAR:
• Some workers are failing to show up at nuclear construction sites amid the Westinghouse bankruptcy. (Bloomberg)
• Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are debating whether to subsidize continued operation of nuclear plants. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

***SPONSORED LINK: Stay current on the newest developments in the energy economy by attending the Advancing Renewables in the Midwest Conference April 24-25 in Columbia, Missouri. For registration and details: www.AdvancingRenewables.org.***

CLIMATE:
• EPA administrator Scott Pruitt says in a TV interview that the U.S. should exit the Paris climate accord. (InsideClimate News)
• A study finds global carbon emissions must peak sooner than previously thought to meet Paris targets. (InsideClimate News)
• Exxon tells a federal judge it will continue to fight charges that it downplayed climate change risks to investors. (InsideClimate News)
• A poll finds young conservatives “take climate change much more seriously.” (Grist)
• Oklahoma lawmakers advance a bill that critics say is intended to undermine the teaching of climate science in schools. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Tesla plans to unveil an electric semi truck later this year, but battery technology still can’t support long-haul trucking; Elon Musk’s announcement on Twitter caused the company’s stock to jump 3%(Quartz, Reuters)
• A new report highlights electric vehicles as a load-management resource for utilities. (Greentech Media)

SOLAR:
• Stakeholders in New Hampshire fail to reach a settlement on net metering, but say the process was worthwhile anyway. (Utility Dive)
• An analysis finds large solar installers are quoting higher prices for homeowners than smaller companies. (Greentech Media)
• Multiple Midwest states are changing interconnection rules for solar customers, which could likely to cut the time and money required to establish a connection to the grid. (Midwest Energy News)
• A utility official says “the typical Utah rooftop solar customer was receiving about $400 in subsidies from other customers.” (Utah Public Radio)

WIND: Developers of a proposed wind farm off the coast of Maryland offer to site turbines farther out after pushback from local officials on aesthetics. (Ocean City Today)

TRANSPORTATION: Major automakers are geared up to sell more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but first the U.S. needs a more robust fueling network. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Updated charts from the Lawrence Berkeley lab reveal shifts in U.S. energy use. (Vox)
• The Chicago Sun-Times says it would be “foolish” not to enact a carbon tax.
• The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states continue to lead on climate action. (NRDC)

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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