Ballot measure seeks to break up Nevada utility’s monopoly

UTILITIES:
• A Nevada ballot measure seeks to deregulate the state’s electricity market and break up NV Energy’s monopoly. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Following a series of controversies, California lawmakers seek a drastic overhaul of the state’s Public Utilities Commission. (Los Angeles Times)

POLICY: Political disputes over the water crisis in Flint, Michigan could derail the Senate energy bill. (The Hill)

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CLIMATE:
• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s dispute with the legislature over whether the state should rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative could be heading back to court. (NJ Spotlight)
• ExxonMobil pushes back against a shareholder resolution calling for leadership on climate change. (InsideClimate News)
• A science writer discusses the potential for using geoengineering to reverse global warming trends. (ClimateWire)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Opponents are optimistic their unusual legal approach will succeed in blocking the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)

SOLAR:
• Maine lawmakers are preparing a package on net metering reform for lawmakers. (Maine Public Radio)
• New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to increase the amount of solar capacity on city buildings five-fold. (Associated Press)
• The National Association of Utility Regulatory Commissioners opposes a provision in the Senate energy bill that would set federal net metering guidelines. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR:
• Duke Energy’s planning costs for a proposed South Carolina nuclear plant have reached nearly $500 million, with no indication the plant will actually be built. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• The cost of the TVA’s Watts Bar 2 reactor, set to begin generating power in June, rises $200 million to $4.7 billion. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

POLITICS: Ethanol critics say Ted Cruz’s victory in the Iowa caucus diminishes the industry’s political clout, but not all observers agree; also, a similar debate played out in the last presidential cycle. (E&E Daily, AP archive)

COAL:
• A former Kentucky coal miner discusses the politics surrounding the industry. (SNL Energy)
• Lawmakers are working on a $1 billion federal fund to help Appalachian states diversify their economies away from coal. (Reuters)

OIL AND GAS:
• Los Angeles officials push for a full-time regulator to oversee oil operations in the city. (Los Angeles Times)
• Federal regulators are considering new rules for underground gas storage sites in an effort to prevent leaks. (EnergyWire)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new study by University of Michigan researchers finds that battery-powered electric vehicles produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions overall than hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. (CNET)

COMMENTARY:
• Why fighting rooftop solar could backfire for utilities. (Vox)
• ​“Utilities’ road to riches is excessive capital spending.” (San Diego Reader)