MICHIGAN: With its Integrys merger potentially at stake, Wisconsin Energy says it’s willing to invest in a new power plant in the Upper Peninsula. (Energywire)

NEWSMAKER: Dr. Holmes Hummel explains why the lack of a price on carbon is holding back cleantech innovation. (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.***

POLITICS: Polls show an obscure candidate who has made climate change a focus of his campaign is within 4 percentage points of unseating Michigan Rep. Fred Upton. (E&E Daily [archive], The Hill)

ALSO: Utilities spend big on the midterm elections, a leaked recording reveals how a lobbyist conceals corporate donations from the oil and gas industry, and a Republican strategist says “I’m not a scientist” is “the dumbest answer I’ve ever heard” on the question of climate change. (Utility Dive, New York Times)

OIL AND GAS: Researchers find unsafe levels of chemicals near drilling sites, an industry study says fracking saved Americans $248 billion on energy costs last year, and a new natural gas processing facility is nearly complete in Ohio. (InsideClimate News, The Hill, Columbus Business First)

SOLAR: “It is no longer a sign of a hippie to have solar panels, it’s the sign of a savvy homeowner,” and why solar prices will continue to fall. (Bloomberg)

HYDROPOWER: A study of an Ohio reservoir raises new questions about methane emissions from hydropower. (Climate Central)

COAL: The S.S. Badger’s ash-retention system is expected to be in place for next season. (MLive)

TRANSMISSION: Wisconsin regulators announce hearings for a proposed transmission line. (La Crosse Tribune)

COMMENTARY: Why energy efficiency can help support economic growth. (Crain’s Cleveland Business)