WIND: Exelon is in the early stages of developing its first commercial wind project in Ohio, a planned 200-megawatt project in the northern part of the state. (Platts)
EFFICIENCY: A consumer advocacy group and a clean energy group are pushing Illinois utilities to allow customers to share real-time energy usage data with third parties as a way to increase energy efficiency. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Michigan Energy Fair announces two new partners: The Sustainable Living Summit 2016 and The Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expo, June 24-25, Ingham County Fairgrounds, Mason, Michigan. For complete information go to www.glrea.org ***
NUCLEAR: A federal plan to test whether nuclear waste could be stored deep underground is rebuffed again, this time after local resistance in South Dakota. (Associated Press)
TRANSMISSION: The Missouri Chamber of Commerce urges state regulators to approve the Grain Belt Express transmission line. (KMOX)
SOLAR:
• A growing number of rooftop solar installations in Wisconsin has some talking about the end of the utility monopoly business model. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• A New Jersey company donates $3 million worth of solar panels to an Illinois school district. (Associated Press)
PIPELINES: Regulators allow construction on the Dakota Access pipeline to take place on tribal land in northwest Iowa, but it must do so by working underground. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
COAL: Indiana utilities are confronting challenges with storing coal ash amid new federal rules. (WBOI)
FRACKING:
• A federal district judge says the Bureau of Land Management lacks authority to set rules on fracking. (Associated Press)
• Supporters of the Obama administration’s rules for fracking on public and tribal lands say the regulations are overdue and can coexist with state laws. (EnergyWire)
TRANSPORTATION: Columbus, Ohio receives a $50 million federal grant to become a proving ground for “intelligent transportation systems.” (Columbus Dispatch)
STORAGE:
• President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers says storage will help deliver greater penetration of wind and solar, “dismantling” critics’ longstanding argument that renewables can’t compete with baseload sources like coal and gas. (Washington Post)
• The distributed energy trend can help municipal utilities “reinvent” themselves through software-managed energy storage, according to a research and consulting firm. (Utility Dive)
OIL AND GAS:
• Local authorities in a Minnesota community practice an oil spill response. (Winona Daily News)
• A crane accident that killed one worker at an oil well in North Dakota is the second oilfield-related death in the state this week. (Associated Press)
• A new study finds extreme oil prices — whether high or low — may hamper climate change efforts. (Climate Central)
UTILITIES: Ameren Missouri announces pricing for a $150 million public offering to help repay short-term debt. (St. Louis Business Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• A Michigan researcher says the growing solar industry will welcome coal workers “with open arms.” (Huffington Post)
• The Twin Cities region is proud of its leadership on transitioning to clean energy. (Pioneer Press)
• One Minnesota county sends a “strong message that the use of renewable energy is the future.” (Faribault Daily News)
• Energy proposals in Michigan still “need a lot of work” if they want to move the state forward. (Union of Concerned Scientists)