Michigan denies permit for petcoke storage near Detroit

PETCOKE: Michigan regulators deny a permit to store petroleum coke on the River Rouge near Detroit. (Detroit News)

EFFICIENCY: A federal loan program to promote vehicle fuel efficiency trickles down from the big automakers to the supply chain. (Midwest Energy News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Tour beautiful and sustainable homes in the Twin Cities area  May 31 on the EcoMetro Sustainable Living Tour. Homes feature innovative technology that tackle the challenging combination of cold winters & hot summers with smart design choices, cutting edge building techniques, and on-site renewable energy systems.***

OHIO: TV ads prelude a House vote on a bill to freeze Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency standards, which could come as early as today; and religious groups rally against the bill. (Columbus Dispatch)

GRID: Duke Energy is seeking nearly $10 million in compensation from the PJM Interconnection, which it says ordered it to activate generating facilities that weren’t needed. (EnergyWire)

EPA: Environmental groups threaten to sue the EPA over a new cooling water rule, calling it “largely worthless.” (Bloomberg Businessweek)

FRACKING: A federal worker safety agency will investigate drilling practices following four oilfield deaths from chemical exposure. (Bloomberg)

OIL: Minnesota’s governor signs a bill requiring railroad and pipeline companies to help fund emergency response training, and a North Dakota refinery is $50 million over budget but still expected to begin operations in December. (Associated Press, Forum News Service)

TRANSMISSION: South Dakota landowners raise concerns over a proposed transmission project. (Aberdeen News)

CLIMATE: A forum at Northwestern University discusses the challenges of storing carbon. (Medill Reports)

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SOLAR: How cutting “soft costs” can drive down the price of solar power. (Greentech Media)

COMMENTARY: Ohio will “advertise its regression to employers and investors across the country and around the world” if legislators pass a bill freezing the state’s renewable and efficiency standards. (Toledo Blade)