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AK: Bill would separate state oil, gas taxes

By Richard Mauer

Roll the dice.

AR: Report -- Ark coal-fired plants among highest mercury producers

By Staff Reports

Two coal-fired power plants in Arkansas are among the nation's 50 worst producers of mercury pollution, according to a report released Wednesday by the Environmental Integrity Project.

AZ: Wind farm could widen in SRP deal

By Ryan Randazzo

Salt River Project announced a deal Thursday that could double the size of the state's only wind farm, the Dry Lake Wind Power Project near Snowflake.

AZ: Arizona's last new coal plant?

By Ryan Randazzo

Salt River Project customers will begin paying about $6 more on their monthly bills this spring, most of which will pay for a new $1 billion coal-fired power plant near Springerville in northern Arizona.

CA: Valero oil firm contributes half-million to suspend AB 32

By Jim Sanders

A Texas-based oil company has contributed more than half of the nearly $1 million collected in a drive to suspend California's landmark greenhouse-gas emissions law, documents filed Thursday show.

CA: SMUD, other utilities seek to kick PG&E-backed Proposition 16 off June ballot

By Denny Walsh

A broad coalition of California's public utilities, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, sued Thursday to disqualify Proposition 16 from the June 8 ballot "for being false and misleading and for concealing its true nature and purpose from voters."

CA: Chuck DeVore says oil drilling could help fill state budget hole

By Jim Sanders

DeVore's legislation, Assembly Bill 2719, would allow new oil drilling but not new rigs off California's coast by requiring firms to use directional or slant drilling from existing platforms.

CT: Trumbull residents seek Siting Council changes

By Ken Dixon

Dozens of Trumbull residents on Thursday asked state lawmakers to protect the historic Nichols neighborhood from a planned fuel-cell facility that would depend on high-pressure natural gas flowing through 50-year-old pipes.

CT: Energy plant operator -- More state oversight would be 'redundant'

By Josh Kovner

A spokesman for a major power-plant operator stunned a legislative panel Thursday when he said creating a state mechanism to increase safety at power plants would be "somewhat redundant."

CT: Legislators revive idea of state power authority to buy electricity

By Mara Lee

For the second year in a row, Connecticut legislators are trying to establish a state power authority in the hopes of buying electricity cheaper than Connecticut Light & Power can buy it.

DE: Delaware hopes solar science, history can coexist

By James Merriweather

The Markell administration wants to dramatically demonstrate its commitment to green technology. And it hopes to do it by installing a 10-megawatt solar plant on the roof of Woodburn, the governor's official residence and one of the most historic homes in the state.

HI: Hawaii revving up to era of electric cars

By Greg Wiles

People attending Hawai'i's biggest new-car show will be greeted by a Hawaiian Electric Co. display in what may mark the dawn of the era of the electric car.

IA: Alliant sticks with planned rate increase

By Dan Piller

Alliant Energy said "no" on Thursday to Gov. Chet Culver's request to hold off on a 10 percent rate increase for its 525,000 Iowa customers.

IA: Culver asks Alliant to delay rate hike

By Dan Piller

Gov. Chet Culver asked Interstate Power and Light Co. President Tom Aller to delay a temporary 10 percent electric rate increase, to be effective Saturday, for the utility's 525,000 Iowa customers.

IA: Biodiesel industry idles, eager to go full speed

By Dan Piller

NEWTON, Iowa -- As National Biodiesel Day dawns this morning, the embattled Iowa industry hopes that it soon will enjoy some of the momentum that its biofuels cousin, ethanol, has had in the last few months.

IL: Coal-to-gas plant gets a big boost in state Senate

By Mike Riopell

A large coal plant project slated for Jefferson County got help from state lawmakers Thursday.

LA: Group warns La. on oil prices

By Michelle Millhollon

A nonprofit environmental group ranks Louisiana drivers as among the most vulnerable in the nation to spikes in oil prices

MA: A $63m push to retrofit housing

By Andrew Ryan

Mayor Thomas M. Menino will announce today what is being billed as the largest energy efficiency overhaul in public housing in the nation's history, a sweeping initiative designed to save electricity, countless gallons of water, and millions of dollars.

ME: Several towns eye hold on tower construction

By Rich Hewitt

BLUE HILL, Maine — With interest in wind power and communications increasing in Maine, several Hancock County towns are considering slowing things down to make sure they can effectively regulate construction of the associated towers.

MI: Grand Haven area leaders weighing reaction to wind farm proposal

By Terry Judd

As a longtime resident of Grand Haven's North Shore, Jan Beukema has fought the growing number of rental units, seasonal homes and condominiums in her Lake Michigan view neighborhood.

MS: Rising fuel costs to TVA passed on to customers

By The Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The electric bill is going up again in April. The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced an increase in its fuel adjustment charge. The utility said the hike will raise residential power bills between $3 and $6.50 per month, depending on how much electricity is used.

MT: E-mails -- No pressure from Dems in poaching case

By The Associated Press

Internal e-mails released Wednesday show top officials at the governor's office and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park were aware a Madison County poaching investigation involved a prominent Republican who later went to work for Denny Rehberg.

MT: Schweitzer says coal money could be used to offset cuts or for stimulus projects

By Matt Gouras, The Associated Press

Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday that if Montana's Land Board approves an $86 million bid for state coal leases, the money could be used to reduce pending state budget cuts he is considering.

MT: Group says gas price spike could cost Montanans 10 percent of income

By Vince Devlin

Even in good times, says a Washington, D.C., environmental group, gas prices take a bigger bite out of the average Montanan's paycheck than they do residents of every other state but one.

NC: Biden touts Cree as green manufacturing model

By Emery P. Dalesio

DURHAM, N.C. -- Vice President Joe Biden is highlighting a North Carolina company as an example of how the Obama administration aims to expand jobs that pay middle-class salaries.

NE: Bill will open door to out-of-state wind farmers

By Nancy Hicks

Nebraskans will see more wind turbines on the horizon next year as out-of-state developers begin using the state's landmark wind law, which appears headed for passage this spring.

NJ: New energy budget will give smaller rebates for solar panels on roofs

By Scott Fallon

Residents and small business owners looking to put solar panels on their roofs will receive smaller rebates under a new state Clean Energy Program budget made public Thursday.

NV: Special legislative session advocated for water rights

By Cy Ryan

The Nevada Legislature should be called into special session soon to clarify confusion created by the Nevada Supreme Court on thousands of water rights, say advocates for homebuilders, organized labor and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

NV: Governor, Legislature seek to keep $62 million for state budget

By Cy Ryan

Gov. Jim Gibbons and the Nevada Legislature have joined to ask the state Supreme Court to force the Clean Water Coalition in Las Vegas to turn over $62 million to help the financially troubled state government.

OH: NRC plans special inspection of cracking at Davis-Besse nuclear power plant

By John Funk

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will do a special inspection to investigate the new cracking problems at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant.

OH: Customers want more guarantees from FirstEnergy Corp. about all-electric homes

By John Funk

CLEVELAND -- FirstEnergy Corp. will restore low-cost power for some all-electric customers, but the move won't end the storm of protests that erupted after electric heating bills jumped by hundreds of dollars this winter.

OH: Ohio plants still pumping out mercury

By Spencer Hunt

While mercury emissions from power plants across the United States have decreased in recent years, the amount released at American Electric Power's Gavin plant in southeastern Ohio more than doubled from 2007 to 2008.

PA: PUC sets hearing on Marcellus shale pipes

By Don Hopey

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is holding a special hearing as part of efforts to clarify and possibly expand its role in regulating burgeoning Marcellus shale gas well and gas pipeline development.

PA: PUC sets hearing on Marcellus shale pipes

By Don Hopey

TN: Environmentalists critical of number of meetings regulatory office has had with opponents to new coal ash rules

By Michael Collins

WASHINGTON - The White House regulatory office that is reviewing proposed standards for the storage of toxic ash from coal-fired power plants has met behind closed doors more than two dozen times with industry groups and other parties who oppose the new rules.

TX: A border runs through it

By Julian Aguilar

Steeped in the annals of the America's symbiotic relationship with Mexico is the two countries' long-standing and sometimes tense agreement over an issue more far-reaching than border security and immigration: water.

TX: White's board seat falls on a fine line

By R.G. Ratcliffe and Bradley Olson

Former Houston Mayor Bill White's service on the board of an oil field services company now facing a congressional inquiry is not illegal, but it is unusual.

UT: WVC wants UTA to delay rail designs for 5600 West

By MarÃa VillaseÃ±or

West Valley City officials are concerned that, with no guarantee that light rail will travel along the 5600 West corridor in the near future, the Utah Transit Authority wants to acquire too much right of way in that area for mass transit.

WI: Report -- State has two plants in top 50 in mercury pollution

By Lee Bergquist

A new report came out Wednesday afternoon from the Environmental Integrity Project on mercury pollution and coal-fired power plants.

WY: Former Wyo legislator, ambassador honored by gift to Nature Conservancy

By Wire Reports

LANDER, Wy. — During his four decades of service as a Wyoming state senator, an advisor to governors, and as an oil man, Tom Stroock worked to protect the state's natural resources and unique quality of life.

WY: Wyoming seeks $660,000 from Sinclair for spill

By Mead Gruver, The Associated Press

Wyoming is seeking a settlement of $660,000 against Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company -- a penalty that would be among the state's biggest in recent years -- for failing to take measures to prevent a huge spills last year.

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