CLIMATE: The U.S. House passes its first climate bill in a decade, calling for the Trump administration to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Agreement. (Reuters)
ALSO:
• The board of Nebraska’s largest utility remains reluctant to take swift action on climate change despite major flooding in March that destroyed a hydropower facility and cut off access to a nuclear power plant. (Energy News Network)
• A bill seeking to dramatically curb Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions is headed to Gov. Jared Polis to sign, despite strong opposition from the oil and gas industry. (The Colorado Independent)
• Scholars and policy experts urged New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to support pending climate change legislation, saying the state is in a unique position to show national leadership. (Grist)
***SPONSORED LINK: GTM’s 12th annual Solar Summit is taking place May 14-15 in Scottsdale, Arizona. With two days of packed networking opportunities and top market intelligence, this conference is the premier event for defining industry needs and creating new business opportunities.***
CARBON: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signs off on a state budget that includes language inserted by Republicans to keep the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. (Washington Post)
RENEWABLES:
• State policies that either encourage or undercut renewable energy play a bigger role in where solar power gains traction than how much the sun shines, experts say. (Center for Public Integrity)
• A proposal moving forward in Nashville would push the city to get all of its power from renewable energy sources by 2041. (Nashville Public Radio)
SOLAR:
• Michigan regulators approve a replacement for net metering that finds middle ground between solar advocates and DTE Energy. (Energy News Network)
• The Texas Senate passes a bill that bars cities from putting restrictions on rooftop solar panels. (Houston Chronicle)
• The University of Louisville wins a $1 million grant for researching how to print thin solar panels by using repurposed printing presses. (Associated Press)
WIND:
• New York’s grid operator says more onshore wind energy upstate is being lost because inadequate transmission lines keep it from load centers closer to New York City. (Times Union)
• An offshore wind developer and a Connecticut port form a partnership to upgrade a pier to serve the growing offshore wind industry. (Hartford Courant)
STORAGE: ComEd’s CEO says energy storage will be “absolutely a necessary component” as the state transitions to more renewable energy. (Energy News Network)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: As expected, the Trump administration loosens offshore drilling safety rules put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster to help boost the industry in the Gulf of Mexico. (Houston Chronicle)
PIPELINES:
• The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council says South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is not welcome on their reservation after she signed bills targeting pipeline protesters. (Forum News Service)
• A Virginia law firm represents landowners in multiple states trying to fight eminent domain claims by pipeline companies. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
POWER PLANTS:
• New York’s grid operator is evaluating a proposed emissions rule that could force the retirement of 3,300 MW of natural gas-fired peaker plants in New York City and Long Island by 2025. (Reuters)
• A revised bill to subsidize two Ohio nuclear plants has the same limitations on renewable energy as an earlier version, while House Democrats separately propose a 50 percent renewable standard by 2050. (Energy News Network)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join utility and energy professionals at the region’s largest energy event, Solar Power Southeast, May 29-30 in Atlanta. Back for a 5th year, over 700 attendees and 70 exhibitors will be in attendance. You can expect to hear from the utility, private sector, and non-profit leaders from throughout the Southeast region.***
POLITICS:
• Polling suggests that Republicans risk turning off younger voters en masse by portraying the Green New Deal as a socialist fantasy. (Politico)
• After delivering more than 200 floor speeches on climate change, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is joined for the first time by a Republican colleague. (E&E News)
COMMENTARY: A climate activist looks at what we know so far about where 2020 presidential candidates stand on carbon pricing. (Citizens’ Climate Lobby)