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Conservatives, coal groups fight Trump carbon rule in court
Amid a crowded field of legal challenges aimed at taking down EPA’s Clean Power Plan replacement, conservative groups and coal companies are carving out an argument that the Trump rule exceeds EPA authority in regulating emissions from coal-fired power plants. Two free-market think tanks — the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Texas Public Policy Foundation — joined a petition filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last Thursday against EPA’s Affordable Clean Energy rule. A pair of coal mining interests lodged similar complaints.
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Policy & Politics
Huge Western coal burner ponders shift to renewables
Another Western utility thinks it can save money by swapping coal for renewables. PacifiCorp, which serves 1.9 million customers in seven Western states, released updated modeling last week showing it would save its customers hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming decades by retiring coal plants early and replacing their electricity with renewable power. Those results are part of a growing trend in the western United States. Utilities like Idaho Power Co., Public Service Co. of New Mexico and Xcel Energy Inc. have all announced plans to ditch coal, bypassing natural gas in favor of renewables like wind and solar. The trend has considerable climate ramifications. PacifiCorp’s fleet of coal plants has long made it one of the most carbon-intensive utilities in America. [ read more … ]
S.C. utility to shut half its coal plants, boost solar
The board of South Carolina public utility Santee Cooper yesterday approved a plan that will cut debt, diversify its generation fleet and modernize its business operations — all in hopes of insulating the electric company against a possible sale. Santee Cooper’s proposed energy transformation, which includes shutting down a coal plant and adding 1 gigawatt of solar, follows a nationwide trend of shifting away from fossil fuels. But the state government-owned electric company has been in the spotlight for two years after it walked away from a nuclear project, V.C. Summer.
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Mortenson chosen by Xcel Energy to build Colorado wind farm
“The Cheyenne Ridge Wind Project is a key part of our Colorado Energy Plan and will be another important component in Xcel Energy’s efforts to achieve its aspirational ‘zero-carbon strategy’,” Gerald Kelly, Xcel Energy project manager, said. “We have worked extensively with Mortenson on previous wind projects, including the Rush Creek Wind Project, and look forward to continuing our strong relationship as we move forward with Cheyenne Ridge.” [ read more … ]
Volkswagen bets big on EVs. Will consumers buy in?
Volkswagen is rolling out what it bills as the breakthrough electric car for the masses, the leading edge of a wave of new battery-powered vehicles about to hit the European auto market. The cars are the result of massive investments in battery technology and new factories driven by environmental regulation and concerns about global warming. But it’s not at all clear whether consumers are ready to buy them.
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Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.