Spike in earthquakes in central, eastern U.S. linked to oil and gas

EARTHQUAKES:
• A dramatic increase in earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. since 2009 is associated with fluid injection wells used in oil and gas development, says a new study. (ScienceDaily)
• A new study finds that the recent spike in earthquakes in Oklahoma is primarily due to the injection of wastewater produced during oil extraction. (ScienceDaily)

BIOMASS: Greenfield, Massachusetts, has passed the state’s first local ordinance strictly regulating—and in some cases banning—large-scale wood-burning power plants. (WWLP)

WIND: Developers and government officials gathered at a summit this week said they are optimistic that offshore wind power will eventually catch on in the U.S. as it has in Europe. (Climate Central)

ARCTIC DRILLING: Shell successfully deployed and tested emergency equipment meant to respond to a blown-out well in the Arctic Ocean, federal regulators said Thursday. (FuelFix)

BATTERIES: Tesla signed a five-year partnership this week with a leading lithium-ion battery researcher to enhance storage capacity and drive down costs for automotive and grid energy storage. (Fortune)

POPE: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is delivering Pope Francis’s encyclical on man-caused climate change to Congress, the White House and Catholics nationally. (The Hill)

CONGRESS: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday advanced a $30.01 billion spending bill that takes aim at the EPA’s climate rules. (The Hill)

CRUDE: Supporters of ending the U.S. ban on crude oil exports are mounting a full-court press to win over wary lawmakers. (E&E Daily)

BIOFUELS: The EPA defended its handling of the nation’s controversial renewable fuels program Thursday at a congressional hearing. (Reuters)

SOLAR:
• Iowa’s two major investor-owned utilities are refusing to net-meter solar projects financed by a third party, a funding mechanism upheld last summer by the state Supreme Court. (Midwest Energy News)
• In West Virginia, Solar Holler is using crowd funding to help nonprofits install solar panels for less than the price of a cup of coffee. (Yes! Magazine)

EFFICIENCY: Consumers may be in for sticker shock as automakers turn to costly technology to meet tighter U.S. fuel-economy mandates, according the National Research Council. (Bloomberg)

PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley says that if he is elected president he will phase out the use of fossil fuels by 2050 and convert the U.S. to clean-energy only. (The Hill)