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)
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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)