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WV: Special session to last another day for gas-tax bill

By Phil Kabler, Charleston Gazette

Legislators will spend one more day in special session, after House Republicans blocked a passage vote Thursday on a bill (SB4004) to freeze the state's gasoline tax at the current 32.2 cents a gallon.
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US: Senate panel debates offshore drilling

By Siobhan Hughes, The Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- A Senate panel on Thursday battled over whether the country could expand oil and gas drilling in coastal waters without damaging the environment, spotlighting one of the big fights over climate legislation.
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More Energy news

AK: Alaska gets money for green jobs

By The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News

Pacific Northwest states are getting more than $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage green jobs. Read More

CA: Utility shut-offs soar for poor PG&E customers

By David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle

The number of low-income households cut off by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. after they fell behind on their utility bills jumped 75 percent this year, according to a state report released Thursday. Read More

CO: Xcel Energy lops nearly $44 million off rate-increase request

By David O. Williams, Colorado Independent

Xcel Energy Thursday filed for state approval of a settlement with consumer groups in its ongoing rate case before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), knocking nearly $44 million from its rate-increase request. Read More

DE: Delaware asked to invest in wind company

By Aaron Nathans, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)

A startup company whose management includes former Lt. Gov. John Carney is seeking a state investment of $350,000 to establish an operation in Wilmington to manufacture support towers for wind turbines. Read More

HI: Average statewide gas price up for fifth straight week to $3.35

By Staff Reports, The Honolulu Advertiser

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Hawaii rose for the fifth consecutive week to $3.35 a gallon, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch. Read More

HI: State gets $1.24M in federal funding to promote 'green' jobs

By Staff Reports, The Honolulu Advertiser

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said it has been awarded $1.24 million in federal funds to be used in developing an information bank to facilitate job training, job search and placement in "green jobs." Read More

IN: Indiana regulators approve heating assistance

By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and Press

Consumer advocates say they're encouraged by state regulators' decision to allow Indiana utilities to reinstate heating assistance programs for the needy, but the next step is up to the utilities. Read More

KY: Senate hopefuls squabble about terrorism, coal

By Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald-Leader

LOUISVILLE — Republicans Trey Grayson and Rand Paul exchanged sharp words on the issue of Guantánamo Bay, and Democrats Jack Conway and Daniel Mongiardo squabbled about their alliances with coal. Read More

KY: Kentucky PSC recommends ways to prevent power outages

By Patrick Howington, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)

The Kentucky Public Service Commission offered a broad — and expensive — set of recommendations Thursday to limit power outages and ease recovery when the lights go out. Read More

LA: Ark., Miss. let out of utility agreement

By Mark Ballard, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)

Federal regulators Thursday allowed Entergy Corp.'s subsidiaries in Mississippi and Arkansas to withdraw from an agreement that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds for the utility's Louisiana customers. Read More

NH: Proposals sought for northern NH heating project

By The Associated Press, Concord Monitor

PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- A new project is under way to help northern New Hampshire communities save money and the environment. Read More

OH: New natural gas pipeline boosts Ohio

By Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade

Natural gas from the $4.4 billion Rockies Express pipeline had been flowing into a terminal at Lebanon, Ohio, between Cincinnati and Dayton since June. Read More

RI: In Providence, a crescent of green business sprouts

By Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal

When Alteris Renewables decided to add another office in either Rhode Island or Southeastern Massachusetts, it considered Fall River, New Bedford and Bristol. Read More

TN: TVA price increases fuel higher tax payments

By Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Higher electricity prices may have squeezed recession-weary consumers in the past two years, but the higher TVA rates are helping to funnel more money into state and local government coffers. Read More

TN: TVA cuts bonuses; no pay raise for top brass

By Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press

For the first time since the Tennessee Valley Authority revamped its top management about three years ago, the federal utility didn't give pay raises or performance bonuses to its top managers this year. Read More

TN: Water quality penalty expected next year

By Cliff Hightower, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Chattanooga could be fined as early as next spring for not living up to the standards of its water quality permit, a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation official said Thursday. Read More

UT: Utah oil and gas leases should be reinstated, report says

By Amy Joi O'Donoghue, The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)

A new analysis by an association representing oil and gas producers asserts the Department of the Interior thwarted the public process and "second-guessed" its own land managers when it yanked bids on oil and gas parcels sold at a controversial auction in Salt Lake City last December. Read More

WA: BPA proposal for new high-voltage line draws heat

By The Associated Press, The Olympian

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A Bonneville Power Administration proposal to build a new high-voltage power line across one of several possible corridors between new substations in Castle Rock, Wash., and Troutdale, Ore., is drawing heated comment. Read More

WV: Vote block extends special session to fourth day

By Staff and Wire Reports, Charleston Daily Mail

House Republicans on Thursday blocked the Legislature from voting on two bills sought by the Manchin administration, throwing a special session into a fourth day. In a largely symbolic move, the Republicans prevented Democrats from suspending House rules Thursday to advance one bill that would have made changes to the state gasoline tax and another to encourage the use of energy sources other than coal by state utilities. Read More

WY: Revenue committee finally passes some tax bills

By Phil Noble, Cowboy State Free Press

The legislature's Joint Interim Revenue Committee spent the day Nov. 18 killing bills, including measures calling for taxes on electric generation, wind energy, property and fuel. Read More

WY: Don't blame wind, officials say

By Dustin Bleizeffer, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne)

Power producers have installed more than 500 megawatts of wind energy generation in Wyoming in the past year. Read More

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

	As president of the Council of State Governments, Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry (D) has launched a “sustainable energy” initiative, to highlight the best practices and innovations of states to increase renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner uses of domestic fossil fuels.
	The Renewable Fuels Association has this summary of state incentives for ethanol production and an overview of How Ethanol is Made.
	The Pew Center on Global Climate Change has compiled a list of proposed or enacted state laws to study or combat global warming.

USEFUL LINKS

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
An organization of states which promotes conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment.

Grading the States 2005
The Government Performance Project's analysis of how well each state is managed in four areas: money, people, infrastructure and information.

National Association Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
NARUC members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the 50 states.

National Association of State Energy Officials
NASEO is a group of senior officials from state energy offices.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
NRECA was organized to represent the national interests of cooperative electric utilities and the consumers they serve.

Natural Resources Defense Council
NRDC actively pursues litigation to support environmental protections and offers online resources related to environmental advocacy.

Pew Center on Global Climate Change
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established to “provide credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change.”

Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association promotes policies, regulations and research supporting the ethanol industry.

Southern States Energy Board
The Southern States Energy Board is a non-profit organization created to promote economic development through innovative energy and environmental policies in 16 states.

Statescape's BillFinder
BillFinder helps users find any bill eligible for consideration in the current calendar year using either keywords and phrases or bill numbers.

Read the latest news, analysis and research on the economic crisis in the states in Stateline.org's new Recession and Recovery special section.

The Stimulus and the
States
Follow how states are managing the stimulus money and which programs are receiving funding as part of the recovery effort using Stateline.org's stimulus special section.

Click here to read summaries of action in all 50 states and major trends of the 2009 legislative session.

Read the full 2008 Legislative Review or state-by-state summaries

Read the full 2007 Legislative Review or state-by-state summaries

Read the full 2006 Legislative Review

Stateline.org has compiled an extensive list of state issue political blogs to make it convenient for you to follow state government.

If a blog you find interesting and informative is not on our list, tell us about it by sending an email to editor@stateline.org.

Blogs organized by Issue

Blogs organized by State

Stateline.org has put together a list of state public policy resources organized by issue. Here, you will find useful links to essential information from government, academia, and think tanks. If you have a link to add, please email us.

Go to the state public policy resources page

The Pew Charitable Trusts applies the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew's Center on the States identifies and advances state policy solutions.