CLIMATE:
• Scientists project sea levels could rise twice as high as previously expected by the end of the century, citing new understandings about Antarctic melting. (Washington Post)
• After the state legislature declines to take up the issue, an initiative to establish a carbon tax in Washington state will go before voters. (Associated Press)
EXXON INVESTIGATION:
• Attorneys general from Oklahoma and Alabama say a New York-led investigation into ExxonMobil’s climate disclosures stifles the debate on climate, saying “reasonable minds can disagree about the science behind global warming.” (Bloomberg)
• The U.S. Chamber calls investigations into oil companies’ climate disclosures “un-American.” (The Hill)
• California lawmakers urge the state’s pension fund to divest from ExxonMobil. (Reuters)
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PIPELINES:
• Developers of a natural gas pipeline through Georgia suspend work in response to a state moratorium on new projects. (Florida Times-Union)
• How a D.C. attorney is using FERC proceedings to block pipeline projects. (SNL Energy)
• New York’s state Comptroller raises questions about pipeline oversight. (Albany Times Union)
OIL & GAS:
• The EPA unveils a partnership with 41 companies agreeing to voluntarily reduce methane emissions. (Associated Press)
• A Colorado district plans a new elementary school next to a drilling site. (ABC7)
COAL:
• The company planning to buy Peabody Energy mines backs out of a loan deal, jeopardizing the chances of helping Peabody stave off bankruptcy. (Bloomberg)
• Peabody says it will lay off 235 workers in the Powder River Basin. (Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION: The chairman of BNSF Railway says “we are in an energy depression” as declining coal and oil markets harm the railroad’s bottom line. (WDAY)
SOLAR:
• Utilities and clean-energy advocates back a New Hampshire bill requiring state regulators to undertake a thorough study of net metering rates. (Concord Monitor)
• How SunEdison went from being an investor favorite to the verge of bankruptcy. (Bloomberg)
• A Louisville, Kentucky homeowner is in a legal battle with historic preservationists over his solar panels. (Louisville Courier-Journal)
WIND: Citing ten proposed projects around the country, a national conservation group seeks tougher restrictions on siting wind farms to avoid bird deaths. (Midwest Energy News)
UTILITIES: Utah’s governor signs a controversial bill that reduces regulatory oversight of the state’s largest utility. (Deseret News)
BIOENERGY:
• Maine lawmakers are divided on whether to subsidize biomass plants. (Portland Press Herald)
• A new power plant fueled by landfill gas goes online near Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)
NUCLEAR: Beyond competition from natural gas, maintenance costs for aging facilities are also cutting into the economics of nuclear power. (U.S. News and World Report)
COMMENTARY:
• Should nuclear power be included in renewable energy standards? (Houston Chronicle)
• A new report explains how the U.S. can run on 100 percent renewable energy. (Huffington Post)
• How the Clean Power Plan will create jobs. (NRDC)