WIND: The recent listing of a bat species as threatened will likely impact some wind farms, but the details have yet to be worked out. (Midwest Energy News)
UTILITIES: Federal regulators approve Wisconsin Energy’s proposed takeover of Integrys Energy Group. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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FERC: An investigation finds Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in many cases have close ties to industries they regulate, including applying for jobs at companies impacted by the agency’s work. (Greenwire)
CLIMATE: Wisconsin’s newest utility regulator downplays the contribution of man-made pollution to climate change. (Wisconsin Radio Network)
OHIO:
• EPA carbon rules become a key issue in Ohio’s U.S. Senate campaign. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Gov. John Kasich appoints Andre Porter to be the new chair of the state’s Public Utilities Commission. (Columbus Dispatch)
SOLAR:
• A report says utilities, specifically in the Northeast, may lose up to half their customers to distributed generation. (Bloomberg)
• Plans to redevelop a former Army ammunition dump near Minneapolis include a 40-acre solar array. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• An Iowa workshop will help farmers navigate incentives for solar power. (Luther College News)
• The Chicago Infrastructure Trust seeks proposals for solar projects on city property. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
COAL: Murray Energy modifies its deal to acquire Foresight Energy. (St. Louis Business Journal)
NATURAL GAS: Developers announce they have secured financing for a proposed new $899 million power plant in Ohio. (Akron Beacon Journal)
OIL: Officials in a North Dakota county approve a Swiss developer’s plan for a $500 million retail and housing project just outside the oil patch hub of Williston. (Reuters)
ILLINOIS: A Chicago-area elementary school becomes the stage for a state energy policy discussion. (Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune)
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ELECTRIC CARS: A study finds electric cars may become affordable for average buyers faster than we think. (MIT Technology Review)
COMMENTARY: Climate change deniers are in retreat. (Washington Post)