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)

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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