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)