New York’s energy plan looks to transform role of utilities

NEW YORK: State regulators have approved demonstration projects that will allow New York’s six investor-owned utilities to act in a new role as distribution grid operators. (EnergyWire)

NATURAL GAS:
• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf seeks more oversight on natural-gas drilling operations in an effort to curb methane emissions. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The ongoing leak at a natural gas storage site in California presents an opportunity to find out ways to cut down on methane emissions industry-wide. (New Republic)

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CLIMATE:
• California will investigate whether Exxon Mobil lied to the public and shareholders about the risk of climate change to the company. (Los Angeles Times)
• A coalition of investors representing nearly $300 billion in assets is urging Exxon Mobil to be more transparent on how resilient the company’s business model is to climate change. (Reuters)

TESLA: The company is falling short of job and investment projections for its Nevada Gigafactory that were used to persuade lawmakers to approve historic tax incentives. (Reno Gazette-Journal)

WIND: Critics say the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity is pushing a bill in Kansas to defund a transmission authority as a back-door attempt to block wind energy expansion. (Midwest Energy News)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• At least 20 states are open to the idea of carbon trading with other states as a way to meet the federal rules. (ClimateWire)
• Grid operator MISO eyes lower-cost compliance options. (Platts)

SOLAR: Rooftop solar owners who sell their renewable energy credits may not be adding as much renewable energy to the grid as they might think. (Mother Jones)

OIL AND GAS:
• Leaders at a worldwide forum on business and politics say sinking oil and gas prices is creating less of an incentive to reduce emissions through renewable fuels. (Associated Press)
• The International Energy Agency says crude oil prices may fall even farther this year due to low demand, warm winter weather and an oversupply. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Low gas prices have led electric-vehicle sales to fall short of President Obama’s goals laid out in 2008. (Reuters)

POLITICS:
• Republican in-fighting plays out in Iowa as Gov. Terry Branstad hopes Ted Cruz loses the Iowa caucuses based on position against ethanol mandates. (Radio Iowa)
• Wealthy donors face an increasingly steep uphill battle trying to persuade GOP candidates to combat climate change. (Politico)

COAL: The federal government is objecting to a plan by Alpha Natural Resources to pay more than $11 million in executive bonuses as it reorganizes in bankruptcy court. (The Hill)

POLLUTION: President Obama vetoes Congress’ bid to repeal a law protecting small bodies of water at risk from coal mining and other operations. (The Hill)

COMMENTARY: The federal government’s decision to pause and review practices for coal-mine leases on public land is ​“smart” and ​“overdue.” (Seattle Times)