OHIO: The House is expected to vote today on a controversial bill to freeze the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
NUCLEAR: Exelon’s nuclear plants are priced out of a PJM capacity auction, eliminating a key source of revenue and raising questions about their future viability. Meanwhile, a resolution in the Illinois legislature aims to improve the plants’ competitiveness. (Chicago Tribune, EnergyWire)
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COAL: The PJM Interconnection will have plenty of reserve power in coming years despite coal plant shutdowns, and a judge tosses a St. Louis ballot initiative targeting coal companies. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
ALSO: A coal industry claim that EPA rules will cause electricity prices to increase 80 percent “falls apart under close scrutiny.” (Washington Post)
COAL ASH: Dispute over a proposed coal ash dump in Missouri centers around whether it is 2 feet above the water table as required by zoning laws. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
CLIMATE: Cap-and-trade is alive and well in many states, and may provide a blueprint for complying with EPA carbon rules. (Politico)
OIL AND GAS: The shale boom is due for a shakeout, a proposed pipeline expansion draws opposition in Wisconsin, and a tornado at a North Dakota oil field “man camp” raises new safety concerns for workers. (Bloomberg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Associated Press)
WIND: GE says it can improve output from existing wind farms by extending blade length. (PhysOrg)
EFFICIENCY: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will be in St. Paul today to tour a heat-recovery system at the Science Museum of Minnesota. (MinnPost)
COMMENTARY: Utilities fight solar power in Missouri. (Grist)
CORRECTION: An item in yesterday’s digest mischaracterized a court ruling on FERC’s demand-response policy. It impacts grid operators, not utilities.