EPA: Opponents of the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases have few options for appeal, and the decision may cause industry to pressure Congress to develop an alternative means of regulating carbon emissions. (Greenwire, E&E Daily)
OIL: In the third and final installment of InsideClimate’s report on the 2010 Michigan oil spill, residents take Enbridge to task over the contents of the oil still submerged in the Kalamazoo River. Related: A federal panel has ended its comment period and will begin preparing a report on whether oil sands crude poses a greater risk to pipelines than conventional oil. (InsideClimate, Greenwire)
ALSO: An Energy Department official says Michigan has “billions of barrels” of oil that could be tapped through enhanced recovery techniques. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
POLLUTION: Residents of Muscatine, Iowa — a town that has made national headlines for its struggles with air pollution — will receive electronic alerts when air quality poses a health hazard. (Midwest Energy News)
HYDRO: A Minnesota startup hopes its space-age turbine design will enable it to tap river currents for energy at prices competitive with existing energy sources. (Midwest Energy News)
CLIMATE: ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson acknowledges fossil fuels are to blame for climate change, which he says is “an engineering problem” that humans will adapt to; and a new report explores the climate connection to recent heat waves, including this year’s “Summer in March” in the Midwest. (Associated Press, Climate Communication)
WIND: The American Bird Conservancy has sued two federal agencies, accusing them of suppressing information about wind farms’ impact on wildlife. Also, a new wind farm is proposed in Wisconsin, and a Michigan tourist town is promoting its wind farm as another attraction for visitors. (Transmission and Distribution World, Sheboygan Press, Muskegon Chronicle)
BULK BUYS: Chicago residents will vote in November on whether to allow the city to negotiate electricity purchases. (Chicago Sun-Times)
OHIO: A new trade group, consisting of 72 companies so far, will promote Ohio’s advanced energy economy. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
COAL: A $2.8 billion coal-to-gas plant planned in Indiana receives its final permit from the state. (Evansville Courier & Press)
NATURAL GAS: Natural gas prices may be on the upswing as futures hit a five-month high. (Bloomberg)
EFFICIENCY: Flint, Michigan, is changing the bulbs on its trademark Saginaw Street arches to LEDs. (MLive.com)
COMMENTARY: The New York Times calls Tuesday’s court ruling in favor of EPA climate rules “good news for the planet.”