COAL: A proposed West Coast coal export terminal, which would have been the nation’s largest, is likely dead after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denies a key permit. (Bellingham Herald, New York Times)

ALSO:
• The city council in Oakland, California is expected to vote next month on a proposed coal terminal there. (San Jose Mercury News)
• The decline of coal is having a ripple effect throughout the private sector. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

CLIMATE: Carbon emissions in the energy sector fell 12 percent last year from 2005 levels, according to federal data. (The Hill)

OIL & GAS:
• Colorado lawmakers drop an attempt to counter a court ruling challenging the state’s severance tax, and shift funds to help cover the expected $115 million in refunds. (Denver Business Journal) 
• A California utility executive gives a less dire prognostication over the potential for blackouts if the Aliso Canyon storage facility remains shut down. (Los Angeles Times)
• The National Park Service authorizes a Texas company to survey 110 square miles for recoverable reserves in the Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida. (Associated Press)
• A prominent economist says Alaska can no longer count on oil revenue to keep its state government afloat. (EnergyWire)
• A California county considers a fracking ban. (San Jose Mercury News)

OIL BY RAIL: Following new federal regulations last year on unsafe oil tank cars, only 225 of roughly 110,000 tank cars have been retrofitted, despite public assurances suggesting otherwise. (DeSmog Blog)

NUCLEAR:
• California regulators are re-opening a case in which ratepayers were billed $3.3 billion for the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear plant. (Los Angeles Times)
• Officials in a New York county push to keep a nearby nuclear plant open. (Finger Lake Times)

POLICY: Ohio lawmakers aim for “quick passage” of a bill to suspend renewable and efficiency standards indefinitely, hoping to get it done before the end of the year. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

CLEAN TECH: A labor union-backed training center in Illinois that has been around for a century has an increased focus on training workers in clean energy technology. (Midwest Energy News)

GRID:
• A new report by PJM says state policies — such as those passed for two utilities in Ohio — that affect wholesale power markets can limit the effectiveness of deregulated markets. (RTO Insider)
• A Vermont utility begins installing Tesla Powerwalls for customers. (PV Magazine)
• Caterpillar gets into the microgrid business. (Utility Dive)

WIND: Wyoming lawmakers consider increasing taxes on wind energy. (Wyoming Public Media)

EFFICIENCY: American hotels become more receptive to energy-saving measures. (New York Times)

POLITICS: Why this could be the presidential election where climate change matters. (Washington Post)

COMMENTARY: How New York aims to make climate action good for business. (New York Times)

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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