PIPELINES:
• The developer behind the Dakota Access project says the failure of Keystone XL to gain federal approval impacted the company’s strategy. (The Gazette)
• More Iowa landowners sue to block the Dakota Access project, claiming the company is not a public utility. (WHO-TV)
COGENERATION: The state of Michigan wants clean energy groups to take a close look at the untapped potential of combined heat and power (CHP) as a way to lower carbon emissions and increase efficiency. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Michigan Energy Fair announces two new partners: The Sustainable Living Summit 2016 and The Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expo, June 24-25, Ingham County Fairgrounds, Mason, Michigan. For complete information go to www.glrea.org ***
POLICY:
• Michigan lawmakers advance sweeping energy reform bills that place restrictions on electric choice and phase out clean energy standards in favor of goals and more utility planning. (Midwest Energy News)
• Referring to Michigan, solar advocates say eliminating net metering prevents states from having a thriving solar industry. (Michigan Radio)
PJM AUCTION:
• Consumers across PJM’s service territory will collectively pay $4 billion less for electricity in three years due to energy efficiency gains and a wave of new natural gas plants. (EnergyWire)
• During the PJM auction, FirstEnergy was mum about the future of its struggling plants in Ohio. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• Chicagoans will pay more than twice as much for reliability as a result of the auction. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• Exelon’s Quad-Cities nuclear plant failed to clear the auction, reinforcing the utility’s calls for support from the Illinois legislature. (Quad-City Times)
GRID: Xcel Energy seeks public input on the best ways to deliver more energy to the Twin Cities’ growing metro region. (KSTP)
RENEWABLES: Michigan State University is moving quickly to transition from coal while state officials are “still fussing with a stack of road maps.” (Lansing City Pulse)
SOLAR:
• The number of U.S. solar installations reaches the one million milestone, but there is still far to go to make an impact on limiting climate change. (InsideClimate News)
• A Wisconsin concrete company sees new work with a major solar installation. (GazetteXtra)
• A Minnesota nonprofit receives a $500,000 grant to fund a shared solar array in a tribal community. (Pineandlakes Echo Journal)
UTILITIES:
• Ohio regulators agree to hear AEP’s latest income guarantee request for struggling plants that is scaled back from its original proposal. (Columbus Business First)
• An Indiana utility details plans for a $100 million water infrastructure project in the central part of the state. (Inside Indiana Business)
CLIMATE: A new study shows Canadian tar sands production is one of North America’s largest sources of secondary organic aerosols. (Climate Central)
REGULATION: A new chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is sworn in. (Columbus Dispatch)
WIND: The industry is facing a “valley of death” in the early 2020s as tax credits wind down and utilities meet initial Clean Power Plan targets. (Utility Dive)
OIL AND GAS:
• North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple says the state’s oil industry is “as solid as solid can be.” (Associated Press)
• Canada’s central bank says the country’s economy will shrink due to the wildfires that shut down oil sands production. (Associated Press)
• A North Dakota oil company will pay $250,000 to settle a federal racial discrimination lawsuit. (Associated Press)
• A Kansas man faces up to 20 years in prison after being indicted as part of a $7.9 million oil and gas scheme. (Associated Press)
CONGRESS: A key U.S. Senate leader who has been negotiating sweeping energy policy changes says the House is being difficult by adding partisan provisions to the deal. (E&E Daily)
COMMENTARY: A former Minnesota lawmaker says the Clean Power Plan is “putting our pro-business climate at risk.” (Osakis Review)