WIND: Invenergy LLC and General Electric announce plans to build the largest single wind installation in the U.S., a 2,000-megawatt project in Oklahoma. (Reuters, Columbus Business First)
SOLAR:
• The developer of a 41,000-panel solar array that will be the largest in Maine says the project should be partially operational by the end of the year. (Morning Sentinel)
• An Arkansas rural co-op receives national recognition for a unique solar project that is helping to retain a major employer. (Southeast Energy News)
RENEWABLES: Renewable electricity must increase by 50 percent by 2030 for states to meet their Renewable Portfolio Standards, according to a new report. (InsideClimate News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Toyota is reportedly working on “solid-state” batteries for electric vehicles to be rolled out in five years that could charge a car in under three minutes. (Popular Mechanics)
CARBON TAX: Two Democratic senators pitch legislation for a carbon tax to a conservative think tank, telling Republicans the revenues would go back to taxpayers. (The Hill)
CAP-AND-TRADE: Why California and other states are choosing to curb emissions through cap-and-trade. (GreenBiz)
CLIMATE: The chairman of the House Science Committee, Lamar Smith, writes on op-ed on what he believes are the benefits of climate change, saying it has the potential to “increase international trade and strengthen the world economy.” (ThinkProgress)
NUCLEAR: Researchers at Google have teamed up with a nuclear fusion startup to create an algorithm that advances nuclear fusion research. (The Guardian)
POLITICS:
• The House of Representatives votes in favor of legislation that places energy sanctions on Russia, straining relations with some European leaders. (CNBC)
• Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tells Alaska’s two senators that voting against the Republican healthcare plan could have energy repercussions for the state. (Alaska Dispatch News)
• A conservation group is suing the Trump administration for failing to provide public records about meetings between Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and energy industry executives. (ThinkProgress)
PIPELINES:
• The Sierra Club wants North Carolina regulators to withdraw approval for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline contracts, saying the volume of natural gas initially negotiated is no longer needed. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• The Atlantic Coast Pipeline would disproportionately impact Native Americans in North Carolina. (ThinkProgress)
• Native American tribes are objecting to the intervention of national trade groups in the legal case over whether to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline. (Associated Press)
COAL: A U.S. Senate panel rejects President Trump’s plan to cut research funding for “clean coal.” (Bismarck Tribune)
UTILITIES: California’s three big utilities have asked state regulators to approve a total of 200 megawatts of contracts for distributed energy resources for 2018 and 2019. (Greentech Media)
AIR QUALITY: Residents in low-income, minority communities across Chicago are monitoring air quality as part of a broader push for clean energy in their neighborhoods. (Midwest Energy News)
COMMENTARY:
• The California Air Resources Board should not approve Volkswagen’s plan to spend its settlement money until the company agrees to commit 35 percent of its investments to install EV chargers in low-income communities, says the Mercury News editorial board.
• Researchers at the University of California, Davis, explore the role that electrifying vehicle fleets could have in decreasing worldwide oil consumption in the decades to come. (The Conversation)