Survey finds most conservatives acknowledge climate science

POLITICS: A new survey by GOP pollsters shows 54 percent of self-described conservative Republicans believe the world’s climate is changing and mankind is playing a role. (New York Times)

COAL:
• A leading ​“clean coal” lobbying shop is cutting half its staff and reorganizing to reflect the U.S. coal industry’s market losses. (Politico)
• New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing to divest the city’s pension fund from coal. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• Amazon secures approval for its planned 80 megawatt solar system on Virginia’s Eastern Shore peninsula. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
A closer look at California’s utility-solar fight. (Palm Springs Desert Sun)
• Across the country, utilities are getting into the rooftop solar market and competing with small-scale installers. (Associated Press)
A Pennsylvania company helps connect solar developers with land. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

CLIMATE: Public lands may become an increasingly important carbon sink. (Climate Central)

POLLUTION: One estimate of a death toll from Volkswagen’s higher diesel emissions approaches those killed by GM’s ignition defect: 124 lives lost. (New York Times)

OIL AND GAS:
• Multiple factors contributed to Shell’s decision to pull out of the Arctic. (New York Times)
• Why it’s getting harder for oil companies to make money. (Mother Jones)

FRACKING:
• Experts from academia and industry issue guidelines for states dealing with fracking and earthquakes. (Associated Press)
• Indiana is studying whether fracking or related activities could cause earthquakes in the state. (Associated Press)

WIND: Connecticut’s first utility scale wind farm is nearly complete. (North American Windpower)

TRANSMISSION: Oregon farmers are hoping to persuade the Navy to allow a transmission to be sited on a bombing range easement instead of crossing farmland. (Capital Press)

UTILITIES:
• Opponents of a rate-guarantee proposal by AEP say the plan could cost ratepayers $2.5 billion through 2024. (Columbus Business First)
• A panel discussion led by former FERC chair Jon Wellinghoff discusses the utility of the future. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY: Among global political parties, the U.S. Republican Party is the lone outlier in denying climate science. Why? (New York Magazine)