SOLAR:
• Xcel Energy and some third-party developers have reached an agreement in the dispute over how large community solar projects can be under the utility’s Minnesota program. (Midwest Energy News)
• Researchers say community solar is at a “tipping point” in a new report, with the market expected to grow five-fold this year. (Greentech Media)
ALSO: A new report shows how net metering policies facilitate growth in distributed solar — and suggests why the Midwest is lagging. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Illinois Renewable Energy Conference, July 16 in Normal, Illinois, will feature plenary sessions of interest to all areas of renewable energy, plus specific breakout sessions for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and energy efficiency.***
EFFICIENCY: A new study by the University of Chicago shows that projected savings from low-income household efficiency projects are much greater than are actually realized. (Associated Press)
OHIO:
• A provision added to Ohio’s state budget would shift a generating plant’s property tax burden from the plant owner onto electric-delivery companies, which could then pass the costs on to ratepayers. (Columbus Dispatch)
• A FirstEnergy official confirms that a soon-to-be-retired coal plant will likely be replaced by an ethane processing plant for use by the chemical and plastics industries. (Columbus Business First)
REGULATION: A profile of Colette Honorable, the newest member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (EnergyWire)
RENEWABLES: A new Bloomberg report shows that while renewables are projected to double worldwide by 2030, emissions are expected to rise till then. (ClimateWire)
CLIMATE: Ohio officials praise Pope Francis’ recent call for climate action and make the connection between climate change and Lake Erie algae problems. (Toledo Blade)
TRANSPARENCY: Records show that the University of Oklahoma sought $25 million from billionaire oilman Harold Hamm at the same time researchers at the school were formulating the state’s position on oil drilling and earthquakes. (EnergyWire)
MINING: Iron ore mining in Minnesota faces a challenging future as the market moves toward new technologies. (Minnesota Public Radio)
FRACKING: A federal judge grants a request by the industry and several states to halt new federal rules on fracking on public land. (Reuters)
***SPONSORED LINK: Energy Storage USA 2015, July 7-8 in San Diego, is the only event in the United States focused exclusively on the commercialization of storage, to help you bring your technology to market and win lucrative projects.***
NUCLEAR: A tornado narrowly missed an Excelon nuclear plant in Illinois, but utility officials say no one was in danger. (CBS Chicago)
COMMENTARY: How fossil-fuel interests are systematically trying to kill the Clean Power Plan. (Desmog)