OIL BY RAIL: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee asks Union Pacific to halt oil-by-rail shipments through the state, though the company says it will continue operations. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
ALSO:
• The review process begins this week over a controversial proposal for what would be the largest U.S. oil-by-rail marine terminal in Washington state. (Associated Press)
• Opponents of the project appear to far outnumber supporters. (The Columbian)
RENEWABLES:
• Some New York communities are turning to group-buying programs to save money on rates and purchase renewable energy. (Associated Press)
• Leaders in the Massachusetts Senate are pushing for higher renewable energy standards than have been proposed by other state lawmakers. (Associated Press)
• Rhode Island lawmakers pass a bill increasing the state’s renewable energy standard to nearly 40 percent by 2035. (Providence Journal)
COAL:
• Utah’s investment in a planned coal-export terminal in California could be derailed after local officials in Oakland recommend a ban on coal storage. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Miners reflect on the “brotherhood” forged by working for coal companies in Appalachia. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• Environmental regulators in Washington state are reviewing public comments submitted on a proposed coal-export terminal. (Associated Press)
PIPELINES:
• TransCanada Corp. is seeking $15 billion in damages as it requests arbitration over the Obama administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. (Reuters)
• The owner of a natural gas pipeline that exploded in April plans to investigate areas of the pipeline along a 263-mile stretch between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
EFFICIENCY: A proposed benchmarking ordinance to track business’ energy usage would be the first of its kind in Maine. (Portland Press Herald)
MERGER: Potential conflicts of interest are leading some to question Elon Musk’s planned Tesla/SolarCity merger. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE:
• The attorney general of Massachusetts and investment funds of the Rockefeller family push back against congressional lawmakers who say they have powers to oversee investigations into Exxon Mobil’s record on climate change. (Reuters)
• A group of teen activists in Minnesota push local officials to adopt an aggressive climate change resolution. (Midwest Energy News)
OIL AND GAS:
• The operator of a pipeline that spilled thousands of gallons of oil in California last week says it went undetected because the line was undergoing maintenance. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleges a Texas oil developer cheated investors out of $80 million. (Reuters)
• The Obama administration may appeal a court ruling from last week that overturned overturned federal regulations on hydraulic fracturing. (The Hill)
NUCLEAR: The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the source of an unknown sheen in Lake Ontario near a New York nuclear plant. (Associated Press)
EMISSIONS: A federal appeals court delays the schedule of a lawsuit against a White House regulation on carbon dioxide emissions separate from the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)
SOLAR: The CEO of a rural electric cooperative explains the genesis of Virginia’s first community solar project. (Southeast Energy News)
POLITICS: The committee drafting the Democratic Party’s official election platform calls for a federal probe into fossil fuel companies’ records on climate change and rejects calls for a carbon tax and a ban on fracking. (InsideClimate News)
REGULATION: A court ruling last week is “already making waves in lower courts” over when judges should defer to federal agencies on environmental regulations. (Greenwire)
BIOFUELS: A group of 39 U.S. senators sign on to a letter to the U.S. EPA calling for a strengthened Renewable Fuel Standard. (The Hill)
COMMENTARY:
• Utah’s support for a planned coal export terminal in California is a “pie-in-the sky scheme.” (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
• Washington state continues to rebuff efforts by a youth group pushing for stronger state climate policy. (DeSmog Blog)