CLEAN POWER PLAN: The final version of the Clean Power Plan, which could be released as early as Monday, is expected to have a relaxed timeline for implementation. (New York Times)
EPA: A federal court orders the EPA to recalculate requirements under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule for Ohio and other states. (Greenwire)
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OHIO: The declining economics of coal have FirstEnergy changing its position on deregulation. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
WISCONSIN: The state’s Department of Natural Resources is organizing, with some pollution oversight and research functions transferred to a unit billed as a “one-stop shop for business assistance.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
WIND: A ten-year study released this week finds wind farms can displace meadowlarks and other grassland birds. (Bismarck Tribune)
POLITICS: Activist Tom Steyer pushes Iowa voters to make climate change a key issue in the 2016 campaign. (Des Moines Register)
PIPELINES:
• The National Wildlife Federation says it will sue the U.S. Department of Transportation for failing to require spill response plans for pipelines running beneath the Straits of Mackinac. (MLive)
• Nebraska’s governor sends a letter to President Obama urging approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. (The Hill)
OIL: Tribal leaders in North Dakota scale back plans for new regulations on oil activity. (Associated Press)
ETHANOL: An Iowa ethanol group says it prompted tens of thousands of comments on the Renewable Fuels Standard. (WHO-TV)
SOLAR: Grand Rapids, Michigan considers installing solar panels at its wastewater plant. (Fox 17)
SMART METERS: A judge rules a Michigan utility failed to justify the costs associated with an opt-out fee for smart meters, state regulators have until September to lay out how they’ll proceed on the issue. (MLive)
NATURAL GAS: A public hearing for a new power plant in Ohio draws unanimous support. (Youngstown Vindicator)
POLLUTION: Immigrants in the Midwest who rely heavily on fish for their diets often don’t realize the threat posed by mercury contamination. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: A new report catalogs the industry-backed groups working to fight clean energy. (NRDC Switchboard)
CORRECTIONS:
• An item in yesterday’s digest contained an incorrect link for a photo essay on petcoke storage Chicago.
• The entity that selected St. Charles, Illinois for a solar project is the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, which was mischaracterized in yesterday’s digest.