WISCONSIN: We take a closer look at the political forces guiding Wisconsin regulators’ recent approval of rate restructuring, and the legal challenges the solar industry is preparing in response. (Midwest Energy News)
EPA:
• Ohio regulators say the Clean Power Plan will spike power prices. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• American Electric Power questions the technical analysis behind the plan. (Columbus Business First)
• A member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also criticizes the plan, saying it will harm reliability. (The Hill)
• Indiana’s governor says carbon regulations would mean “too much pain for very little gain.” (Indianapolis Star)
• Nike and Ikea are among 221 companies signing on to a letter in support of reducing carbon emissions. (The Hill)
CLIMATE: A new poll finds a majority of Americans are concerned about climate change and believe clean energy is the most effective solution. (USA Today)
KANSAS: A rightward shift in the Kansas state legislature could spell doom for the state’s renewable energy standard. (Wichita Eagle)
WIND: House Republicans consider reviving the wind production tax credit. (Bloomberg)
OIL: The family of a worker killed in North Dakota challenge an autopsy report that absolves his employer from liability. (EnergyWire)
ALSO: Why railways are poorly suited to act as pipelines, and hundreds gather at a public meeting to discuss a proposed Iowa pipeline. (Pacific Standard, Radio Iowa)
NATURAL GAS: A Wisconsin utility seeks to expand a natural gas plant near Green Bay. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
SMART GRID: Illinois lawmakers back a plan to extend automatic rate increases for two utilities to perform grid upgrades. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
SOLAR: Students complete a solar array at a Minnesota college, a Michigan Ikea store is expanding its solar rooftop, and a Minnesota campground uses PACE financing to support a new solar project. (Winona Daily News, Associated Press, St. Cloud Times)
NUCLEAR: Rising uranium costs and competition from natural gas intensify economic challenges for nuclear plants. (Bloomberg)
COMMENTARY: Why a proposed pipeline plan puts Wisconsin at risk. (Midwest Energy News)