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ILLINOIS: Advocates say Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to slash a state efficiency program and move the money to the general fund may be illegal. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Today is the last day to pre-register for the CERTs 2015 Conference: Community-Driven Clean Energy on March 10-11 in St. Cloud. Join hundreds of Minnesotans to help build our clean energy future! ***
OHIO: While Ohio regulators last week rejected one utility’s plan to guarantee income for its power plants – characterized by critics as a “bailout” – the decision left the door open for similar proposals in the future. (Midwest Energy News)
WISCONSIN: Gov. Scott Walker seeks to eliminate funding for a state energy research program. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
COAL: The $1 sale of an Upper Peninsula coal plant could come at a much higher cost for ratepayers, and Illinois officials are expected to announce a decision this week on a proposed coal mine. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Associated Press)
KEYSTONE XL: A pair of injunctions in Nebraska courts halt eminent domain proceedings for the Keystone XL pipeline. (Omaha World-Herald)
OIL AND GAS:
• An Ohio Supreme Court justice decries the role of industry money in state policy-making. (Columbus Dispatch)
• A Wisconsin company says its portable generator can cut down on natural gas flaring in Bakken oil fields. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• The groups that run the FracFocus database pledge to make the site more accurate and easier to use. (EnergyWire)
• An Illinois natural gas pipeline could be converted to carry crude oil. (Carbondale Southern Illinoisan)
EPA: An Ohio coal company claims EPA carbon rules are already harming the industry, as coal groups launch a PR offensive against the plan. (The Hill, Greenwire)
ETHANOL: Small, older plans struggle to compete as ethanol production scales up. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
NUCLEAR: Federal regulators will increase oversight of a Michigan nuclear plant following safety violations. (MLive)
SOLAR: As a proposed solar array at the Ann Arbor airport stalls, nearby Ypsilanti says it has a site ready to go. (MLive)
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TRANSMISSION: Illinois opponents of a wind-energy transmission line say they’ve formed a legal entity to fight the project. (Jacksonville Journal-Courier)
COMMENTARY: Michigan’s efficiency program is working, “don’t screw it up.” (Lansing State Journal)