15 states sue over the delay of an Obama-era smog rule

POLLUTION: Attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration for delaying Obama-era rules that reduce emissions of smog-causing air pollutants. (Associated Press)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Sources say the EPA is preparing to replace the Clean Power Plan with a narrower rule that would center on increasing the thermal efficiency of individual coal plants as a means to reduce carbon emissions. (SNL)

EPA:
• A senior EPA official resigns from the agency over the Trump administration’s new policies, saying ​“there is NO war on coal, there is NO economic crisis caused by environmental protection, and climate change IS caused by man’s activities.” (Washington Post)
• The EPA’s integrity panel says Administrator Scott Pruitt did not violate its scientific integrity policy when he claimed carbon dioxide was not a ​“primary contributor” to global warming on a CNBC segment in March. (InsideClimate News)
• Advocates from Illinois were among those urging the EPA this week not to roll back tougher standards for water discharges from power plants. (Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE:
• Walmart says its Project Gigaton plan will significantly reduce greenhouse emissions by 2030. (Nashville Public Radio)
• The nine states that participate in the RGGI cap-and-trade program may decide to seek deeper emissions cuts. (InsideClimate News)

POLICY: After months of negotiations and surviving a contentious budget battle in the state legislature, the hard work of enacting Illinois’ comprehensive energy bill is underway. (Midwest Energy News)

SOLAR:
• An Idaho electric utility asks regulators for permission to put solar customers into a different rate-paying class, saying they aren’t paying their fair share of fixed costs. (Public News Service)
• In preparation for this month’s solar eclipse, California regulators have launched a website where residents can pledge to reduce energy use from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Grist)
• An Arizona electric utility is being investigated by the FBI for trying to block rooftop solar by supporting utility-friendly political candidates. (ThinkProgress)

RENEWABLES: A year-long grant program announced by the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy office will give 11 projects a collective $7.8 million with the goal of connecting investors to new energy technologies. (Greentech Media)

STORAGE: Google’s research division is working on a novel system to store renewable energy using boiling, molten salt. (Silicon Valley Business Journal)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Utah groups announce a 300-mile electric vehicle corridor initiative. (Deseret News)

OIL & GAS:
• Fossil fuel executives send a letter asking the governor of Texas to reject a ​“bathroom bill” that would discriminate against transgendered individuals, saying it would hurt the state’s economic growth and ability to create new jobs. (ThinkProgress)
• The owner of a Colorado ranch is suing an oil and gas company over a 2016 pipeline leak that allegedly contaminated the property and prevented a planned $5 million sale. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES: The federal Department of Transportation is giving Maine more than $300,000 to keep its pipelines safe and help prevent accidents. (Portland Press Herald)

NUCLEAR:
• SCANA officials told South Carolina regulators the company plans to recover nearly $5 billion from customers over 60 years for its abandoned Summer nuclear project. (Bloomberg)
• SCANA looked for other partners for its Summer plant before stopping construction, but couldn’t find any takers. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Lawmakers are calling for an overhaul in how utility projects are reviewed following the abandonment of construction at the Summer nuclear plant. (Associated Press)
• An analysis says South Carolina’s failing nuclear power project – and overall industry decline – is detrimental to the fight against climate change and a boost for coal. (Bloomberg)
• Georgia is now the only state in the country with a nuclear plant under construction and the fate of nuclear power may hinge on it. (Bloomberg)

UTILITIES:
• A former FERC commissioner says the collapse of the independent power producer (IPP) model could return states to a bilateral contracting model more familiar 20 years ago. (Utility Dive)
• A Michigan utility is seeking permission to build a $1 billion natural gas-fired power plant northeast of Detroit as part of its shift away from coal-fired generation. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Advanced nuclear technologies are garnering support from both Democrats and Republicans, says the vice president for a think tank’s clean energy program. (Greentech Media)
• The definition of ​“alternative energy” has shifted dramatically over the last decade thanks to concerned citizens, government officials and businesses, says a former cleantech executive. (World Positive)