CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• A new report shows Minnesota is already on pace to exceed emission-reduction goals by 2022 and 2030; most Midwest states are also already on a path to compliance. (Midwest Energy News)
• On Wednesday, Ohio and 14 other states formally asked a federal appeals court to block the EPA from implementing the plan until courts decide its legality. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
SOLAR:
• Amid an investigation by state officials, an Iowa co-op is reconsidering imposing an $85 monthly fee on customers with solar panels. (Midwest Energy News)
• Despite steady industry growth and declining prices, solar is not faring so well on Wall Street. (Reuters)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join us at the 14th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fair, August 22 & 23, 2015, at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon, Illinois. Speakers, exhibits, children’s activities, music, food.***
ETHANOL:
• A new study shows the EPA’s proposal to reduce the amount of ethanol required to be blended with gasoline would increase carbon emissions the same as adding one million passenger vehicles to the road. (Biofuels Digest)
• A failed project in Nebraska is preventing the state from receiving some federal economic development funding. (Nebraska Watchdog)
EFFICIENCY: Economists clash with advocates over whether energy efficiency is really the best bang for the buck. (Greenwire)
NUCLEAR: A 100-year-old Great Lakes water treaty could block Canada from building a nuclear waste depository along Lake Huron. (MLive)
COAL:
• Abandoned mines throughout Ohio still taint state rivers and streams with polluted water. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Union Pacific is cutting hundreds of management jobs as the amount of coal shipped by railroads continues to decline. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE: The U.S. nominee to chair the IPCC says developed nations must take the lead on expanding renewables and helping poor nations move away from coal. (ClimateWire)
OIL AND GAS:
• A major oil-spill response drill is planned between Enbridge and government agencies for next month in the Straits of Mackinac. (MLive)
• Two of the largest players in Ohio shale development are teaming up to build a $1 billion pipeline system. (Columbus Business First)
• A judge rules that an Iowa man must allow a company onto his property to survey his land for a proposed pipeline. (Times Herald)
WIND:
• New data shows that the capacity factor for wind can reach 65 percent, which is comparable to fossil-fuel generation, and possibly become the country’s primary source of generation. (Greentech Media)
• A Minnesota couple’s dispute over a $5 fee for their wind turbine has prompted a statewide review of utility charges for customers who generate their own power. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
FRACKING: Ohio’s secretary of state invalidates three local charter amendments seeking to ban fracking because they circumvent state law, which could jeopardize a similar effort in Youngstown. (Youngstown Vindicator)
MICHIGAN: Lawmakers question whether the newest Public Service Commission appointee has a conflict of interest after spending years as a utility employee and lobbyist. (Detroit Free Press)
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EFFICIENCY: A St. Louis County official says proposed changes to the area’s building codes on energy efficiency move too fast. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
COMMENTARY: An Indiana judge’s ruling to block the disclosure of correspondence between a legislator and utilities is a setback for transparency. (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)