Federal court rejects effort to block Clean Power Plan

CLEAN POWER PLAN: In a victory for clean energy supporters, a federal appeals court blocks attempts to halt the Clean Power Plan while a separate lawsuit moves through the courts. (New York Times)

ALSO: New documents show for the first time that West Virginia is looking for ways to comply with the federal rules — particularly through carbon trading with other states — despite political pushback. (ClimateWire)

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RENEWABLES:
• New York regulators approve a 10-year, $5 billion clean-energy fund for the state to reduce emissions and invest in renewables, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo says will attract another $29 billion in private investment and generate $39 billion in customer savings. (Reuters)
• Advocates in Michigan say the declining prices of renewable energy make the case for expanding state clean-energy standards. (Midwest Energy News)
• Amid declining oil prices, wind and solar are thriving because costs have declined as government incentives have risen, demand is growing and investor support is strong. (National Geographic) 

EMISSIONS: The U.S. EPA plans to unveil a suite of methane regulations this spring for new oil and gas operations, but officials say there are no plans yet for national rules on existing facilities. (Greenwire)

OIL AND GAS:
• Coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean are putting up fierce opposition against President Obama’s plan for offshore drilling there. (The Guardian)
• The decline in oil prices has failed to boost the U.S. economy as it had in years past. (New York Times)

FRACKING: An oil and gas company in Oklahoma reaches an agreement with state officials to shut down several disposal wells in an earthquake-prone area of the state. (EnergyWire)

SOLAR:
• A developer inks a new deal with a southern California utility for 500 megawatts of new solar projects. (Utility Dive)
• Analysts say utilities may find business opportunities in distributed rooftop solar if they act proactively, particularly on customer relationships. (Utility Dive)

POLICY: Some scholars believe the president could use a provision in the Clean Air Act to enact a nationwide carbon-trading program. (Vox)

COAL: Despite the Obama administration’s announcement this week to freeze new coal-mine leases on public lands, two new applications from energy companies will be considered next week. (SNL)

NATURAL GAS: National industry groups are calling for more federal regulation of underground storage wells in light of the ongoing leak near Los Angeles. (Reuters)

INVESTMENT: A growing number of shareholders are pressing oil and gas companies to disclose their lobbying efforts against climate action. (Greenbiz)

CLIMATE: Researchers say climate change has exacerbated the public health impacts of air pollution over the past several decades. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

NUCLEAR: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is closely monitoring reactors’ performance in Mid-Atlantic states as a possibly historic snowstorm descends on the region. (Platts)

PIPELINES: The U.S. Forest Service rejects the latest route proposed for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)