Report: Fewer North American oil companies are filing for bankruptcy

OIL & GAS: A new report shows the number of North American oil companies filing for bankruptcy has fallen from 50 to 14 compared to the same period last year. (Houston Chronicle)

ALSO:
• A proposed natural gas export terminal on Oregon’s coast may be revived by new FERC commissioners. (Marketplace)
• A Houston-based oil and gas producer with plans to drill off the coast of Alaska has a troubling safety and environmental track record. (InsideClimate News)
• A group of Republican senators tell President Trump not to sanction Venezuelan oil companies because it could hurt U.S. refiners that depend on Venezuelan oil. (The Hill)
• Local resistance has stalled plans for offshore drilling, and only one coastal governor in the Southeast still supports it. (U.S. News & World Report)

PIPELINES: A water geologist from West Virginia says planned construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through Appalachian mountain ridges is ​“the worst” place for it and could cause major problems for water resources. (WVTF)

COAL:
• The company that supplies lignite coal to Mississippi’s Kemper power plant will lay off 75 workers at its mine following the announcement that the plant will no longer pursue ​“clean coal.” (Associated Press)
• An analysis questions whether West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s proposed coal subsidy plan would really help homeland security. (Washington Post)
• Politicians are ignoring the fact that coal-fired power plants are shutting down all over the country, and they employ more people than coal mines. (Bloomberg)

POLLUTION: Polluters are fined 60 percent less for environmental violations under the Trump administration than under the past three presidents, according to a new report. (Washington Post)

NUCLEAR:
• Researchers say next-generation nuclear reactors are unlikely to materialize within the next 30 years due to an ​“incoherent” research program at the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy. (Climate News Network)
• A weekly podcast explores the history behind two failed nuclear reactor projects in South Carolina. (Greentech Media)
• Although a company failed to build two new nuclear reactors in South Carolina and is now seeking to recoup billions from customers, it paid its executives millions in bonuses. (Associated Press)
• The Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia needs billions of dollars promised by Toshiba to complete construction. (WABE)

UTILITIES: A report from two watchdog groups says utilities have made more political donations to national Republican groups than for Democrats, likely for candidates’ willingness to challenge EPA regulations. (Utility Dive)

REGULATION: Two commissioners are sworn onto the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, giving it a quorum for the first time in six months. (The Hill)

RENEWABLES:
• Rhode Island’s governor signs multiple bills designed to expand the state’s clean energy industry, which includes adding 400 megawatts of solar and wind capacity between 2020 and 2029. (Utility Dive)
• Orlando, Florida commits to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, joining 37 other U.S. cities. (Orlando Weekly)

SOLAR:
• A New Jersey solar project may cost county residents more than $26 million due to a ​“truly perfect storm of incompetence,” according to the findings of a new report. (Associated Press)
• There are over 40 proceedings underway to increase charges on residential solar customers across 25 states, but regulators of skeptical of utilities’ proposals, according to a new report. (Utility Dive)
• Rocky Mountain Power starts an initiative to let Utah solar subscribers go online and view where their individual panels are using a map of a solar plant. (Deseret News)
• Advocates in Ohio are leading a new program that aims to reduce the ​“soft costs” of residential solar installations in the state’s Appalachian coal region. (Midwest Energy News)

WIND:
• Target agrees to buy 100 megawatts of wind power from a project in Kansas. (Bloomberg)
• An illustrated guide to the increasing size of wind turbines. (Greentech Media)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new company plans to start selling and leasing medium-duty electric trucks within weeks. (Greentech Media, Los Angeles Times)

COMMENTARY:
• Suniva and SolarWorld’s petition calling for tariffs on imported solar panels is an ill-conceived effort that could cost 88,000 Americans their jobs, says the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. (Greentech Media)
• The Trump administration and Congress should not waste time on West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s proposal for a subsidy to the Appalachian coal industry. (Washington Post)