SOLAR: Marking a “potential cease-fire” between utilities and solar developers, a coalition in New York is developing a plan that would replace net metering and resolve cost-shifting concerns. (RTO Insider)
ALSO:
• Chicago-based ComEd proposes a series of new solar incentives as well as a demand charge as part of a larger Exelon-backed energy bill package before Illinois lawmakers. (Utility Dive)
• However, Chicago officials say the utility has been actively thwarting solar development in the city for years. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join Greentech Media at Solar Summit for over two days of unrivaled networking opportunities and innovative, engaging panel sessions that will provide a unique mix of market intelligence and coordination among industry players. To get 10% off your registration, use our code: MWENERGY10***
PIPELINES:
• New York regulators reject a permit for a planned 124-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York because it would interfere with water resources in its path. (Christian Science Monitor)
• Developers vow to challenge the decision, saying it was driven by politics rather than science. (Associated Press)
• Canadian regulators approve Enbridge’s plans to upgrade a massive oil pipeline from Alberta to Wisconsin that will also double its capacity. (Associated Press)
• The Sierra Club is suing to block a New Jersey natural gas pipeline. (Burlington County Times)
OIL AND GAS:
• President Obama’s decision to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska was based on industry-funded research. (International Business Times)
• Wyoming coal companies fight plans to drill for oil in the Powder River Basin. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A Pennsylvania bill would shift $12 million from the state’s alternative energy fund to natural gas development. (NPR)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: A debate over waste-to-energy generating systems is firing up once again in Minnesota as local officials look to expand opportunities in the sector while some advocates contend it is a dirty, non-renewable source of electricity. (Midwest Energy News)
FINANCE: Property Assessed Clean Energy financing can help unlock the potential of solar development on commercial properties. (Greentech Media)
POLITICS:
• Clean energy advocacy group NextGen will spend $25 million on a nationwide campus voter-registration initiative to drive young voters to the polls in November. (The Hill)
• Activists pressure Warren Buffett on climate change. (InsideClimate News)
WIND: Lighter winds mean slower increases in production for Western wind farms. (Denver Post)
SOLAR:
• Legislative barriers stand in the way of solar garden development in western states. (High Country News)
• A Texas co-op plans to install 15 MW of solar power across its service territory. (KVUE)
• A New York farmer wins a net-metering dispute with his utility, which had argued his home and farm were different customers. (Poughkeepsie Journal)
GRID: Tesla documents foretell a surge in the energy storage market, according to a new report. (Greenwire)
CONGRESS: The U.S. Senate looks to finish work this week on an energy appropriations bill. (The Hill)
UTILITIES: Southern Co. and Duke Energy top the latest tally of utilities and affiliated PACs contributing the most money to politicians. (Electric Light & Power)
MEDIA: An analysis finds CNN airs more advertisements for fossil fuels than climate change coverage. (Media Matters)
COMMENTARY:
• Why states and cities should lead the way on climate change. (Wall Street Journal)
• For clean energy development, the delay of the Clean Power Plan makes an “erratic environment even more unpredictable.” (Forbes)