COAL: After having to pay for millions in cost overruns, Indiana ratepayers may now be on the hook for repair costs at a troubled coal gasification plant. (Indianapolis Star)

ALSO:
• Ohio may lease part of a state forest for a strip-mining operation. (Columbus Dispatch)
• A coal plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will shut down today. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Illinois Renewable Energy Conference, July 16 in Normal, Illinois, will feature plenary sessions of interest to all areas of renewable energy, plus specific breakout sessions for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and energy efficiency.***

SOLAR:
• Controversy over a proposed solar project in a Minnesota town points to the growing challenge of planning and zoning of large scale solar projects around the state. (Midwest Energy News)
• A Minnesota solar rebate program is drawing increased scrutiny. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

CLIMATE:
• The International Energy Agency says current pledges are not enough to keep global warming at a safe level. (Washington Post)
• A profile of Dr. Naomi Oreskes, who has fought to uncover industry efforts to discredit climate science. (New York Times)

TRANSMISSION: Missouri regulators grapple with a question of state vs. national interests in a dispute over a clean-energy transmission line. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

UTILITIES:
• Utility and power companies will create a national stockpile of transformers and other equipment to aid in disaster recovery. (EnergyWire)
• Why Missouri ratepayers will benefit from a spike in capacity prices in Illinois. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• Why consumers rarely win in disputes with Ohio utilities. (Toledo Blade)
• Minnesota regulators sign off on Wisconsin Energy’s proposed acquisition of Integrys. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

OIL AND GAS:
• A new interactive feature explores whether Minnesota is ready for an oil train disaster. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• North Dakota oil production dropped by 22,000 barrels per day in April. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Environmental groups in Kansas and Oklahoma raise attention to earthquakes related to fracking. (Associated Press)
• An industry group launches a website using memes, listicles and other features to attack drilling critics. (Columbus Business First)

WIND: A new wind farm in South Dakota is now producing power. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Energy Storage USA 2015, July 7-8 in San Diego, is the only event in the United States focused exclusively on the commercialization of storage, to help you bring your technology to market and win lucrative projects.***

EFFICIENCY: University of Kansas students unveil a new passive house in Lawrence. (Lawrence Journal-World)

COMMENTARY:
• Don’t let the spinning of a recent EPA report distract from the risks of fracking. (Toledo Blade)
• Why rural areas will benefit the most from clean energy. (Des Moines Register)

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.