NUCLEAR:
• Exelon says it will likely close the Quad Cities nuclear plant, with a final decision expected in September. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• Federal regulators may impose penalties for safety violations committed by contractors at a Minnesota nuclear plant. (Minnesota Public Radio)

EPA: The Obama administration will reportedly include new incentives for wind and solar as part of the Clean Power Plan. (Bloomberg)

***SPONSORED LINK: Illinois Residents — Enter to win a 4kW solar installation! Only 1,200 tickets will be sold. 1 for $40, 3 for $100  www.illinoissolar.org ***

EFFICIENCY:
• Missouri’s utility regulator is considering whether to institute a “decoupling” policy to ensure utilities will not lose money as a result of encouraging customer energy efficiency. (Midwest Energy News)
• Madison’s mayor encourages citizens to help the city win a national energy efficiency competition. (Wisconsin State Journal)

SOLAR:
• Ohio regulators are considering further revisions to a 2014 decision on net metering as utilities push back. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• A Cleveland program helps cut costs for solar installations. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• A new leasing plan from SolarCity will help small businesses install solar power. (ClimateProgress)
• A Minnesota solar project may face delays resulting from local opposition. (Minnesota Watchdog)

WIND:
• A new study says climate change will increase wind speeds in Great Plains states. (Climate Central)
• North Dakota regulators approve a new hearing for a proposed wind farm after ownership changes hands. (Bismarck Tribune)

COAL:
• Peabody Coal reported a quarterly loss of $1 billion this week, forcing it to suspend its dividend. (Reuters)
• Indiana regulators approve conversion of another unit of an Indianapolis coal plant to run on natural gas. (WFYI)

UTILITIES: Cost projections for a Chicago gas line replacement project have ballooned to $8 billion, cutting into profits for Wisconsin Energy following its Integrys acquisition. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

HYDROPOWER: High river levels mean a shortfall of electricity for a hydro-dependent Illinois town. (LaSalle News Tribune)

PIPELINES: Iowa farmers file a lawsuit to block eminent domain for a proposed crude oil pipeline across the state. (WHO-TV)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Minnesota-based Polaris beats Harley-Davidson to the punch in bringing an electric motorcycle to market. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

BIOFUEL: UPS announces it will buy 46 million gallons of biodiesel for its fleet over the next three years. (New York Times)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join us at the 14th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fair, August 22 & 23, 2015, at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon, Illinois. Speakers, exhibits, children’s activities, music, food.***

SUSTAINABILITY: A Michigan couple says “paying attention” is the key to living off the grid. (Michigan Radio)

COMMENTARY: Five years later, we’ve learned nothing from the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history. (Pacific Standard)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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