PIPELINES: The Trump administration proposes to make pipeline vandalism a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years’ prison time. (Politico)
ALSO:
• A Minnesota appeals court rejects an environmental review for the Line 3 replacement pipeline, saying it didn’t adequately address a potential spill in the Lake Superior watershed. (Minnesota Public Radio)
• FERC receives several applications for pipelines to connect to natural gas plants that replaced coal-fired plants. (S&P Global)
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OIL & GAS:
• An environmental group files a lawsuit claiming southeastern New Mexico’s oil and gas boom threatens Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (Associated Press)
• Federal land managers in New Mexico continue issuing drilling permits despite a judge’s recent decision that they failed to consider the cumulative water use of wells in the region. (High Country News)
TRANSMISSION: Burying the Clean Energy Connect transmission line in Maine is impractical and too expensive, the project’s developer says. (Energy News Network)
STORAGE:
• The U.S. broke records for deployment of energy storage in the first quarter, with grid-level projects accounting for a majority of megawatts. (E&E News)
• Duke Energy announces three battery storage projects in Florida to store 22 MW of power, part of a larger goal to install 50 MW of storage. (Tampa Bay Times)
SOLAR:
• New Hampshire’s governor vetoes a solar energy bill that would have raised the state’s net metering cap from 1 MW to 5 MW, saying it would raise costs for all ratepayers. (Concord Monitor)
• Michigan’s governor announces a policy to allow commercial solar projects on farmland preservation property if they incorporate pollinator-friendly habitat. (Bridge Magazine)
RENEWABLES:
• Washington governor and presidential candidate Jay Inslee says Iowa is a model for creating renewable energy jobs. (Des Moines Register)
• Cypress Creek Renewables announces it will replace its CEO and several other executives as it looks to recover from recent difficulties. (Greentech Media)
COAL:
• Wyoming’s governor says he’s asked the attorney general to investigate a legal strategy to sue Washington state over its efforts to block a proposed coal terminal. (WyoFile)
• A central Ohio town braces for the economic impact of a coal plant closing next year. (Ohio Valley Resource)
TRANSPORTATION:
• House Democrats in a new report push the Trump administration to abandon its rollback of Obama-era clean car standards. (E&E News)
• A major ride sharing company offers free electric vehicle charging for its drivers in Portland starting in July. (Mashable)
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BIOFUELS: Advocates say a new rule allowing year-round sales of higher blend ethanol could double sales this year. (E&E News, subscription)
COMMENTARY:
• There’s no public need for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and a proposed natural gas plant in eastern North Carolina, an environmental activist writes. (Fayetteville Observer)
• A Minnesota columnist says the latest International Energy Agency report is a sobering account on the lack of clean energy investment globally. (MinnPost)