OIL: A company suspends plans to transport millions of gallons of crude oil annually through the Great Lakes by barge after spill concerns and a lack of funding. (Sault This Week)
SOLAR:
• Consumer interest is sparking community solar growth in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Hoosier Energy is building a 1 MW solar array in southern Indiana, the first of 10 planned by the company. (Washington Times Herald)
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CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• The Obama administration adds a “safety valve” to allow states to exceed carbon limits under emergencies and ensure grid reliability. (EnergyWire)
• The plan has an increased focus on renewables from the initial draft at the expense of natural gas. (ClimateWire)
• The clean-energy transition is happening faster than anticipated, allowing the EPA to be more ambitious. (Washington Post)
• For states that refuse to comply with the plan, the EPA will enforce carbon trading programs instead. (ClimateWire)
• Indiana’s path to compliance would require a 28 percent cut in carbon emissions. (Indiana Public Media)
COAL:
• A new industry report details how coal can remain relevant going forward by developing new technology. (UtilityDive)
• Residents and advocates call on Illinois regulators for more scrutiny on two polluting coal plants. (Pekin Daily Times)
• A Girl Scouts troop informs an Illinois mayor on the dangers of coal-ash pollution. (State Journal-Register)
METHANE: A new scientific paper says that a device used to measure the amount of methane leaked from industrial sources may be greatly underestimating emissions. (New York Times)
KEYSTONE XL: TransCanada says it has already spent $2.4 billion on the Keystone XL pipeline, and may sue the U.S. to recover that money if the project is not approved. (Omaha World-Herald)
NATURAL GAS: A Minnesota company is seeking a rate hike on nearly 1 million of its natural gas customers to pay for new capital investments. (Minneapolis StarTribune)
OIL AND GAS:
• New restrictions on wastewater injections in Oklahoma is meant to curb the increased number of earthquakes. (Reuters)
• Geologists say the reduction in drilling activity in Kansas has resulted in fewer earthquakes. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: Ameren scraps plans for a second nuclear reactor in Missouri, citing shaky economics and low demand. (Power Magazine)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The long-simmering debate between manufacturers and regulators over promoting electric vehicle deployment spills into the open at a conference in Michigan. (Reuters)
COMMENTARY:
• While “laudable,” the Clean Power Plan also doesn’t go far enough. (Los Angeles Times)
• The plan “has the potential to devastate the American economy.” (Detroit News)
• Extending clean-energy tax credits is important for Iowa. (Sioux City Journal)