MICHIGAN: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder protests the proposed Wisconsin Energy/Intergrys merger, citing a rate crisis facing the Upper Peninsula. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
WIND: In a case of “all-new territory” for distributed generation, an Iowa college drops its plan to build a 5 MW wind project after the local utility says there isn’t enough capacity on a nearby substation. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join top executives from the area’s RTOs, utilities, transmission developers, and state regulatory agencies at EUCI’s Transmission Expansion in the Midwest, Nov. 4-5 in Indianapolis.***
NUCLEAR: An analysis finds Exelon’s nuclear fleet overall may remain profitable even as the utility seeks support from Illinois lawmakers. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
SOLAR:
• Xcel signs deals for three large solar projects totaling 187 MW in Minnesota. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway wants to sell solar credits to Ohio. (Columbus Business First)
• A study finds peer influence is the most important factor driving solar adoption. (Washington Post)
• Residential solar is “going mainstream” in Michigan. (Detroit Free Press)
• Ohio solar manufacturers sign a letter backing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. (Public News Service)
POLLUTION: A court decision last week cleared the way for the EPA’s cross-state pollution rule. (Greenwire)
GRID: The PJM Interconnection proposes changes that it says will allow it to continue allowing demand response in capacity auctions. (Energywire)
FRACKING: Southern Illinois residents protest delays in fracking regulations: “our lifestyle is being threatened by environmental activists”; and a Michigan landfill withdraws a request to increase its capacity for radioactive drilling waste. (Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press)
OIL: BNSF considers a surcharge for older tank cars carrying North Dakota crude, and the EPA targets a Missouri tank farm for an inadequate spill plan. (Bloomberg, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
EFFICIENCY: Indiana lawmakers consider a replacement for the state’s efficiency program. (Indiana Public Media)
UTILITIES: How Boulder, Colorado’s fight with Xcel “hung over” clean-energy negotiations in Minneapolis; and utilities confront “a once-in-a-century change to the industry.” (Boulder Daily Camera, Politico)
TRANSPORTATION: Tesla owners in Iowa bypass state dealership rules by offering private test drives to prospective buyers, and Ford announces it will sell an electric bicycle. (WHO-TV, Los Angeles Times)
MEDIA: NPR cuts its environmental coverage to a single reporter. (InsideClimate News)
NEWSMAKER: A Q&A with a former Minnesota legislator who now helps businesses finance clean energy projects. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
COMMENTARY: Renewable energy can help solve the Upper Peninsula’s power crisis. (Crain’s Detroit Business)