Moniz: ​“No ambiguity” on climate change

ELECTRIC CARS: Tesla pays back its Department of Energy loan nine years early, and GM announces its electric Chevy Spark will sell for under $20,000 after federal tax credits. (New York Times, Reuters)

CLIMATE: Wal-Mart, which has already pledged to drastically cut CO2 emissions, extends its energy-efficiency efforts to its expansive supply chain. (ClimateWire)

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CLIMATE: Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz says he doesn’t want to spend his tenure debating climate science: ​“there is no ambiguity in terms of the scientific basis calling for a prudent response on climate change.” (The Hill)

ALSO: A Yale survey finds 70 percent of Americans think addressing climate change should be a priority, and a Congressional Budget Office report says a carbon tax could avert ​“catastrophic” climate impacts. (Los Angeles Times, The Hill)

OIL: The EIA says it’s not just North Dakota contributing to the increase in domestic production, and a Michigan congressman uses a vote on Keystone XL to draw attention to Detroit’s petroleum coke pile. (UPI, Michigan Radio)

FRACKING: Reflecting a broader lack of consensus on natural gas, grassroots environmental groups criticize the Environmental Defense Fund for collaborating with industry on fracking regulations. (Mother Jones)

SMART GRID: The Illinois Senate votes to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill authorizing $2.6 billion in rate increases to fund grid upgrades. (Chicago Tribune)

TRANSMISSION: Minnesota’s legislature approves changes to the state’s ​“Buy the Farm” law, providing additional compensation for landowners who move away from new transmission lines. (Belle Plaine Herald)

NUCLEAR: Environmental groups call for hearings over proposed upgrades to an Ohio nuclear plant. (Toledo Blade)

SECURITY: Lawmakers say utilities aren’t taking adequate steps to protect themselves from computer viruses. (The Hill)

STORAGE: Wisconsin companies partner with a Wyoming utility on a project to store energy from wind and solar installations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

TECHNOLOGY: A solar-powered airplane sets a distance record, and new technology could harness energy from waste heat at temperatures as low as 86 degrees. (NBC, Treehugger)

COMMENTARY: The economic benefits of Minnesota’s new solar law, and the democratizing effect of rooftop solar. (Greentech Media, AlterNet)