In efficiency milestone, GE to phase out CFL bulbs

EFFICIENCY: As the quality of LEDs improves and costs continue to fall, GE says it will phase out CFL bulbs. (New York Times)

SOLAR:
• Hawaii utility companies have installed 77,000 solar systems across the state, representing 17 percent of all customers. (Pacific Business Journal)
• Why a small Boston suburb is seeing a solar boom. (Wicked Local Melrose)

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COAL:
• New federal rules meant to improve air quality in underground coal mines take effect this week. (Associated Press)
• What should we do with coal plants after they’re shut down? (Pacific Standard)

POLLUTION:
• Air pollution caused by the energy sector alone costs more than $100 billion a year in damages as a result from health impacts. (Washington Post)
• A bipartisan coalition of Utah lawmakers push for measures to improve air quality. (Deseret News)

OIL AND GAS:
• BP reports an annual loss of $6.5 billion, its largest ever. (Reuters)
• The Interior Department will stop issuing fracking permits off California’s coast as it studies the issue further. (Associated Press)
• Credit rating agencies issue new warnings about the financial stress on oil patch companies. (EnergyWire)
• Anti-fracking activists say they’re being shut out of a Colorado hearing on a temporary drilling ban because of inconvenient scheduling. (Colorado Independent)

PIPELINES:
• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks in opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline. (Greenfield Recorder)
• FERC refuses to reconsider its approval of a natural gas pipeline in New York. (RTO Insider)
• Operators of a Pennsylvania maple syrup operation are still fighting a planned pipeline that will take out several trees on their property. (WNEP)

NATURAL GAS: Developers withdraw plans to build a $1 billion natural gas-fired power plant in New Jersey. (NJ Spotlight)

POLICY:
• New York lawmakers begin working to implement the state’s sweeping clean energy vision. (City & State)
• The U.S. Senate looks to vote on a sweeping, bipartisan energy plan by the end of the week. (E&E Daily)

ELECTRIC CARS: Two California utilities plan to install 5,000 electric vehicle chargers. (Greentech Media)

MEDIA: InsideClimate News is a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for its series on Exxon’s climate misinformation.

COMMENTARY:
• The environment and climate change weren’t always politicized. How did it get this way? (The Conversation)
• Paul Krugman says ​“we’re now achingly close to achieving a renewable-energy revolution.” (New York Times)
• The Supreme Court’s decision on demand response may have an unintended consequence. (Greentech Media)