With the Clean Power Plan's court date quickly approaching and natural gas prices hitting the highest point since last winter, there were some major energy stories this week. 

Here are some of the articles we're currently reading.

Utility Dive: DC Circuit Primer: All You Need to Know Ahead of the Clean Power Plan's Pivotal Court Date

Make no mistake, the Clean Power Plan is almost certainly heading for an ultimate showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court. The stakes are so high that virtually any lower court decision will be challenged.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit slated to consider the case first, with oral arguments beginning Sept. 27. So is that court's decision just a mere formality? Absolutely not, say experts.

Owen Sound Sun Times: Solar Array, Car-Charging Bay are 'Teaching Tools'

A new electric vehicle charging station and solar array at Georgian College's Owen Sound campus will not only benefit the environment but the college's students as well.

“This system is certainly going to offset our carbon footprint and lower the energy use at the college, but we're all about education and we're educating students about the technology that's current and the technology that's coming,” Ron Sky, a professor in the engineering and environmental technologies department, said in an interview Monday during an event at Georgian to officially unveil the two systems.

Georgian College teamed up with Direct Energy to install the two green-energy systems. Direct Energy covered the cost, which was just under $100,000, according to Tom Marshall, the energy retailer's manager for Eastern Canadian sales.

The Wall Street Journal: Natural Gas Prices Rise on Historic Heat

Natural gas prices surged to their highest point since the winter of 2015 as hot weather reports keep stoking expectations for strong demand.

Historic heat has caused record demand for gas-fired power at a time of declining drilling activity, persuading many that a glut leftover from last winter is easing. Bearish traders had been expecting that heat to wane as summer nears an end, but weather forecasts show extreme heat as much as 15-degrees-Fahrenheit above normal until the end of this week, and more warm temperatures covering most of the country into next month.

What’s your neighbor paying for electricity?  What’s the average electric bill of a business in Texas?  Or Pennsylvania?  Where is it more expensive to live — the southeast or southwest? 

Subscribe to the Direct Energy Business Blog for the latest energy news and insights.