In the highly public race among states trying to get the most electricity from clean and renewable sources, it’s not surprising who’s making the most noise. Hawaii—environmentally sensitive islands without access to fossil fuels—has been the most aggressive,passing a law last year that will require its utilities to get 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045. Liberal coastal bastions led by charismatic governors aren’t far behind. In 2015 California passed a law requiring 50 percent renewables by 2030. And New York, where Gov. [node:read-more:link]

Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc.’s Enbridge Energy Partners LP is calling off for now plans for a 616-mile pipeline that was intended to carry crude oil from North Dakota to Wisconsin, citing the recent drop in oil prices. [node:read-more:link]

During the first four months of 2016, there was a barrage of corporate announcements where the companies were revealing their plans to transition into selling and serving only cage-free eggs. However, in early April when Walmart and Sams Club – which sells more than one quarter of the groceries purchased in the U.S. -- announced a move to selling only cage-free eggs, the animal rights groups responsible for the push to end the use of cage-raised eggs seemingly considered it a victory, and determined the entire egg industry would have to remove all of its cages. [node:read-more:link]

California dairy farmers are battling proposed state regulations on methane emissions they say are fundamentally flawed and unachievable and will set them up for failure.  They say the state Air Resources Control Board has lost sight of reality in its Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy to reduce total methane emissions 40 percent by 2030 — including a 75 percent reduction in dairy manure emissions.  While the board’s draft strategy, which also includes reducing black carbon (soot) and fluorinated gases, is not regulation, the reductions have made their way into legislation. [node:read-more:link]

While U.S. sugar beet and sugarcane crops are not yet harvested — and Louisiana’s flooding illustrates that anything can happen in an otherwise excellent growing year — USDA’s Economic Research Service is projecting record sugar production.  ERS is forecasting domestic raw sugar production at 9.208 million tons for 2016/17, eclipsing the high mark of 9.05 million tons established in 1999/2000. The forecast includes 5.32 million tons of beet sugar and 3.89 million tons of cane sugar. [node:read-more:link]

Elected officials in an Oregon county rejected a proposed plan from a group of residents that sought greater local control over the management of federal lands. [node:read-more:link]

Idaho wants to take over regulating pollution discharge into the state’s lakes and rivers from the federal government. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality on Wednesday submitted an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift control of permitting and enforcement aspects under the federal Clean Water Act to the state. Idaho is one of only four states where federal authorities manage pollution discharge into surface waters, the others being New Mexico, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. [node:read-more:link]

Washington state attorneys asked a judge to fine the Grocery Manufacturers Association $43.8 million for campaign finance violations, a penalty that the association’s lawyer said was intended to ruin the trade group.  The penalty would be by far the largest ever levied in Washington for not reporting campaign activities. In the biggest penalty to date, the Washington Education Association settled a case in 2008 by paying $975,000.  Assistant Attorney General Garth Ahearn said GMA’s actions were unprecedented. [node:read-more:link]

The National Grain and Feed Association will be taking a close look at a Surface Transportation Board proposal to develop a new rail rate review process designed to make it easier for grain shippers to challenge unreasonable rates.Under procedures outlined in the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), the STB would design a “comparison group” of similar rail shipments that it would use to judge the reasonableness of the rate being challenged. [node:read-more:link]