Most states fighting Clean Power Plan already on track to hit targets

CLIMATE: Most of the 27 states fighting the Clean Power Plan are already on track to meet their targets. (Reuters)

ALSO: Researchers say ​“it’s no longer appropriate” to say science can’t determine whether climate change is to blame for individual weather events. (InsideClimate News)

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GRID:
• A Wyoming data center will provide backup power to the state’s grid. (EnergyWire)
• Grid operators around the country are exploring a wide range of potential fixes to what’s known as the ​“duck curve” problem in which solar production and demand peaks don’t align. (Midwest Energy News)

UTILITIES:
• A major Nevada casino chain expects to start seeing a payback after seven years after leaving its utility. (Greentech Media)
• A California court agrees to review a controversial decision by state regulators approving a $2.2 billion natural gas plant. (Los Angeles Times)

SOLAR:
• The World Trade Organization rejects a complaint by India that targeted several states’ solar policies. (Reuter)
• Maine regulators propose to phase out net metering over 15 years for existing customers and 10 years for new projects. (RTO Insider)
• Solar advocates turn their attention to opposing a utility-backed solar bill in Florida. (Tallahassee Democrat)

POLICY:
• Why renewable of federal tax incentives wasn’t followed by another surge in wind and solar development. (Bloomberg)
• San Diego’s 100 percent renewable energy target comes with an important caveat regarding natural gas. (Voice of San Diego)

POLITICS: Critics describe a ​“tortuous and sordid history” of state legislation providing incentives for a prominent fuel cell company. (Los Angeles Times)

OIL AND GAS:
• New York’s attorney general expands a probe into Exxon Mobil to include the company’s accounting practices. (Wall Street Journal)
• Maryland regulators say they will miss a deadline to establish new regulations for fracking. (Baltimore Sun)

PIPELINES:
• A federal appeals court orders a halt to construction on another section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. (Associated Press)
• The Dakota Access protest site has created a new school for children and an increasingly organized system to deliver supplies there. (Associated Press)
• Why tribal pushback on Dakota Access could have implications for other types of energy projects. (The Hill)

COAL:
• Mississippi Power says it has started producing the synthetic gas needed to generate electricity at its Kemper ​“clean coal” power plant. (Meridian Star)
• Coal producers are somewhat optimistic as they emerge from bankruptcy. (Casper Star-Tribune)

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BIOFUELS: While the Renewable Fuel Standard has exerted significant economic influence in the U.S., there is ​“hardly consensus” about whether it has delivered on initial promises of emissions reductions and less dependence on foreign oil. (New York Times)

COMMENTARY:
• States are reaping the economic benefits of renewable energy standards. (Morning Consult)
• The declining cost of wind power is ​“significantly affecting the mix of fuels used for generation at regional and state levels.” (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
• A Maine newspaper says the legislature, not the state utility commission, is the place to resolve conflicts over net metering. (Kennebec Journal)