• Utility group says Supreme Court ruling 'doesn't really change anything'
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Clean energy journalism for a cooler tomorrow

Utility group says Supreme Court ruling ​‘doesn’t really change anything’

By Andy Balaskovitz

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CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• North Dakota’s coal industry and top elected officials praise the Supreme Court’s decision to block the rules, and the state will suspend work on a compliance plan. (Bismarck Tribune)
• The Supreme Court’s decision could undermine last year’s negotiations in Paris. (Grist)
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Some legal experts say the Supreme Court ​“opened a door” in which future regulations could be blocked before fully taking effect. (Greenwire)
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States vary on whether to halt or continue planning their compliance strategies. (EnergyWire)
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A national utility trade group says the Supreme Court ruling ​“doesn’t really change anything” as utilities will continue to shift to natural gas and renewables. (RTO Insider)

RENEWABLES: Corporations in Michigan seek to overcome policy barriers as they meet companywide goals to run on more renewable energy. (Midwest Energy News)

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SOLAR:
• An advocacy group projects Minnesota’s solar workforce will grow by 20 percent this year. (WCCO-TV)
• Despite the extension of federal tax credits last year, losses by rooftop solar companies have accelerated. (New York Times)
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The first national trade association for community solar in the U.S. launched earlier this week. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: FirstEnergy and Dynegy attack each other in a Twitter feud. (Columbus Business First)

EMISSIONS: Wisconsin lawmakers propose a bill that would relax the state’s sulfur dioxide emissions. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES: South Dakota lawmakers reject a bill that would have prevented state regulators from issuing permits for pipeline projects before federal approval. (Rapid City Journal)

EFFICIENCY: A new report says an ​“all hands on deck” approach to energy efficiency could meet 30 percent of the nation’s electricity system needs in 10 years. (Utility Dive)

BUDGET: It’s still unclear what the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Clean Power Plan will mean for President Obama’s climate-focused budget proposal. (ClimateWire)

BIOFUELS: Regardless of the policy future of the Renewable Fuel Standard, gasoline companies would still blend fuels with ethanol anyway. (National Public Radio)

COAL:
• The industry’s decline will continue to happen due to market forces beyond the Clean Power Plan. (Slate)
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While criticizing President Obama’s regulations on coal-fired power plants, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ​“blocked efforts to rescue health and pension funds on which thousands of retired and disabled miners rely.” (Washington Post)

*** SPONSORED LINK: Solar Powering Iowa, March 23-24 in Cedar Rapids will be packed with an energizing mix of pre-conference trainings, keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking. Register now for early bird rates (through February 17th)!***

FINANCING: A beer distributor in southeast Michigan uses Property Assessed Clean Energy financing to build a 16,000-square-foot solar array. (MLive)

COMMENTARY: Despite this week’s Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Power Plan, the U.S. must continue on a path toward clean energy. (Los Angeles Times)