CLEAN ENERGY:
• New data suggest the U.S. is making “permanent shifts” toward a clean-energy system. (National Geographic)
• The U.S. EIA projects utility-scale renewable projects will supply 14 percent of U.S. electricity this year. (Utility Dive)
• A Hawaii co-op generated 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources four times in January. (HawaiiNewsNow)
TRANSPORTATION: The White House will propose a $10 per barrel tax on oil to support clean transportation projects. (New York Times)
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CLIMATE:
• A 1982 report shows the oil industry was already aware of “serious consequences” from climate change. (InsideClimate News)
• A coalition of industry and environmental groups push for tax breaks for carbon capture projects. (E&E Daily)
• The California teachers’ pension fund is divesting its coal assets. (ClimateWire)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: In a brief to the Supreme Court, White House officials call states’ effort to block the Clean Power Plan “extraordinary and unprecedented.” (The Hill)
COAL:
• Wyoming may not see another major coal lease sale until 2020. (WyoFile)
• Federal officials want to enter settlement talks with groups filing climate lawsuits over western coal mining. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Why Nevada lawmakers are staying out of the state’s solar debate, for now. (VegasInc)
• Will Nevada’s controversial net metering decision set a national precedent? (Greentech Media)
• A clean-energy venture capitalist and former Greenpeace operative hopes solar companies will unseat oil and gas companies that dominate the energy market. (EnergyWire)
GRID:
• Arizona regulators approve a new transmission project intended to expand renewable energy. (Arizona Daily Star)
• California legislators question a plan to expand the state’s electric grid to include a largely coal-dependent utility. (Los Angeles Times)
SMART METERS: A report finds that despite having more than 50 million smart meters installed, utilities for the most part are still not sharing meaningful data with customers. (Greentech Media)
OIL AND GAS:
• Activists deliver 2 million petitions to the White House opposing offshore drilling in the Atlantic. (Bloomberg)
• Production from the Bakken and Eagle Ford shales is declining. (Houston Chronicle)
• A Minnesota oil refinery plans to spend $750 million to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. (Minnesota Public Radio)
• The first wrongful death lawsuit is filed over the ongoing natural gas leak near Los Angeles. (Reuters)
• A New Jersey bill aims to reduce leaks from natural gas pipelines. (NJ Spotlight)
NUCLEAR: New Mexico lawmakers are advancing legislation to encourage nuclear waste storage in the state. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: “The consumerization of energy is just beginning, and it represents a profound shift in the way we power society.” (Greentech Media)