SNL Energy presents the most read stories for the week ended Dec. 16.

1. Trump team asks DOE to name climate change researchers, seeks help for nuclear

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has asked the U.S. Department of Energy to draw up a list of employees who worked on President Barack Obama's climate policies, which programs seek to achieve the outgoing administration's climate policies.

2. Big transmission lines advance, but still face tough slog

In late November, the Illinois Supreme Court handed electric transmission developer Clean Line Energy Partners some welcome good news: It agreed to hear the appeal of a lower court's ruling that had essentially shut down work on Clean Line's Rock Island transmission line.

3. Underground gas storage operators will have 1 year to follow new federal rules

Gas storage operators will have a year to implement a federal regulator's first set of rules governing underground storage fields, spurred by the multimonth leak at the Aliso Canyon facility in California. The interim final regulation, issued Dec. 14 by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, incorporates by reference two of the American Petroleum Institute's recommended standard practices.

4. 2017 natural gas prices could average $4/MMBtu

Amid natural gas prices that are seen as too weak to sustain production growth, a favorable outlook for natural gas export growth and continued strong power-sector natural gas burn, some are bullish on the natural gas market heading into 2017 and beyond.

5. Largest coal miner to file bankruptcy sets reorganization plan date

According to a new securities filing, Peabody Energy Corp. must file its plan of reorganization by Dec. 21. The filing noted the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri approved a stipulation to its debtor in possession credit agreement setting the date.