EMISSIONS: Washington state adopts a carbon cap requiring large industrial emitters to gradually reduce emissions over time. (Associated Press)
GRID: Tesla wins a contract to build a 20 megawatt Powerpack system in California that is slated to be the world’s largest lithium ion battery storage project. (L.A. Biz)
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OIL & GAS:
• New York’s Attorney General is looking into Exxon Mobil’s accounting practices, including why it hasn’t been recording the value of its assets. (Wall Street Journal)
• Members of a House science subcommittee struggle to agree on the amount of methane released from natural gas production during a hearing this week. (Morning Consult)
• Police arrest 13 activists at the U.S. Department of the Interior for protesting oil and natural gas leasing on federal lands. (Reuters)
• Air pollution from oil and gas wells is highest before wells go into production and during “the liquid load out,” according to a new study conducted in Colorado. (Denver Business Journal)
PIPELINES:
• A ruptured gasoline pipeline in Alabama that normally transports 1.3 million barrels per day could threaten supplies in parts of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• An industry front group in support of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline may have created fake Twitter profiles to counter protesters. (DeSmogBlog)
• New York agencies order a full environmental review of a proposed dual pipeline project that would run 170 miles and traverse the Hudson Valley. (Times Herald-Record)
POLITICS:
• Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he would eliminate the current system of buying and selling biofuel blending credits, but would still support the U.S. biofuel mandate. (Bloomberg)
• During the current election cycle, the fossil fuel industry has donated $37.2 million to Republicans running for federal office, compared to $3.8 million donated to Democrats, according to a recent analysis. (InsideClimate News)
WIND:
• Amazon is investing in a 253-megawatt wind farm in Texas, which will feature more than 100 turbines and help power the company’s cloud data centers. (Houston Chronicle)
• New York releases a 24-page “blueprint” for developing offshore wind, which includes a potential 16,740-square-mile area off the Atlantic coast for wind farms. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell signs off on a third solar power plant at a Native American reservation about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission chairman is recommending that the panel approve a proposal on Friday to grandfather in favorable rates for as many as 32,000 rooftop solar customers. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• A Senate probe is investigating whether tax credits for the solar industry were properly calculated. (Wall Street Journal)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Clean energy groups are sponsoring events to bolster electric vehicle adoption in North Carolina. (Southeast Energy News)
• Tesla is suing an executive at an oil pipeline services company for allegedly impersonating Elon Musk in an email message to gain undisclosed financial information. (Forbes)
TRANSPORTATION: A congressional panel will focus on new fuel efficiency rules in an upcoming hearing amid growing concerns from automakers. (Reuters)
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RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• General Motors says it will power all of its global operations using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, which will include 350 facilities in 59 countries. (Detroit News)
• An organization releases a new mapping tool that showcases states’ clean energy projects and gives policymakers and activists a national scorecard on local clean energy initiatives. (Midwest Energy News)
COMMENTARY: How conflict and collaboration are shaping utility policy. (Utility Dive)