PIPELINES: Geologists are concerned proposed natural gas pipelines in Ohio may be vulnerable to sinkholes. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO:
• Illinois’ attorney general pushes Wisconsin Energy to come up with a plan to deal with a troubled program to replace natural gas lines in Chicago, a situation it will inherit in its proposed acquisition of Integrys Energy. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• Minnesota tribes are holding their own public hearings on possible impacts of a planned crude oil pipeline. (Minnesota Public Radio)

***SPONSORED LINK: Learn about the latest in renewable energy and sustainability in Central Wisconsin at The Energy Fair, June 19-21. Features include keynote speaker John Wellinghoff, workshops, exhibitors, entertainment, and more.***

POLICY: Berkshire Hathaway Energy is advancing bills through Congress to eliminate requirements for utilities to purchase power from small, distributed generators. (E&E Daily)

SOLAR:
• A Minnesota utility regulator says “the value-of-solar tariff is really the way of the future.” (Greentech Media)
• Xcel Energy predicts it will have up to 300 MW of solar online in Minnesota by 2020. (FierceEnergy)
• A Michigan winery unveils its new solar array. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)

OIL AND GAS:
• Shale production continues to rise in Ohio despite low prices, though the rate of increase is slowing. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Michigan lawmakers fight a proposed wastewater injection well. (Toledo Blade)

FRAC SAND: Illinois lawmakers approve a bill to study the impacts of frac sand mining in the state. (Kankakee Daily Journal)

NUCLEAR:
• Exelon says it has not made any decisions regarding threatened plant closures after a bill it backed fails to advance through the state legislature. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• Michigan lawmakers continue to fight a proposed Canadian nuclear waste storage facility along Lake Huron. (EnergyWire)
• A Minnesota nuclear reactor shuts down because of a mechanical malfunction. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

WIND:
• Developers propose what would be the first wind farm in western South Dakota. (Rapid City Journal)
• A wind farm operator says MISO is preventing it from selling power into the PJM Interconnection. (RTO Insider)

COAL: American Electric Power confirms it has shut down 10 coal plants slated for retirement this year. (Platts)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association presents its annual Michigan Renewable Energy Fair June 26-27. Features include an electric vehicle showcase, workshops, renewable energy demonstrations, kids’ activities, and much more! ***

ETHANOL: Why the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative is buying ethanol plants. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

GRID: Utility experts say MISO capacity forecasts may be overly pessimistic: “the sky is not falling.” (RTO Insider)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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