NUCLEAR:
• Illinois-based Exelon agrees to buy an upstate New York nuclear plant for $110 million after state officials agreed to subsidize it and other plants there. (The Hill)
• Local officials in Illinois encourage state lawmakers to follow the lead of New York in designing a plan to save struggling nuclear plants. (Quad-City Times)

RENEWABLES: A new report ranks four Midwest states among the top in the nation with the greatest potential for corporate access to renewable energy coupled with various policy changes. (Midwest Energy News)

***SPONSORED LINK: EnergyStorage Global Innovation Forum, September 12-13 in Chicago brings together top experts from ComEd, Oncor, PowerStream, PJM, Midwest ISO, ARPA-E, Argonne National Lab and many others to examine grid-level and behind-the-meter storage business models, technology innovations and opportunities. Visit www.esinnovationforum.com ***

GRID: Michigan officials ask grid operator MISO to study how the closure of two nuclear plants in the state would affect reliability in the near future. (Associated Press)

EFFICIENCY:
• A federal appeals court in Chicago upholds the Obama administration’s use of a “social cost of carbon” in its analysis of standards for commercial refrigeration equipment. (Greenwire)
• Officials in mid-Ohio want to do a countywide energy audit to develop a baseline for energy use and make it easier to retrofit commercial and industrial properties. (Columbus Business First)

SOLAR: A private electric cooperative in Wisconsin is developing projects that will boost the state’s overall solar capacity. (Yale Climate Connections)

PIPELINES: Another lawsuit is filed by Iowa landowners seeking to stop construction on the Dakota Access pipeline based on eminent domain claims. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

WIND: A 200-megawatt wind project comes online in Minnesota. (reNews)

HYDRO: A new federal report says hydroelectric generation is poised for major growth by 2050 if developers can overcome environmental challenges and take advantage of wind and solar growth. (Utility Dive)

OIL AND GAS:
• Kansas regulators place more restrictions on the areas and amount of saltwater that can be used for oil and gas drilling in south-central Kansas. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
• For the first time in roughly a decade, the U.S. had a net withdrawal of natural gas storage last week. (Utility Dive)
• A North Dakota oil patch town orders temporary housing camps for oil workers to close by September 1. (Forum News Service)
• Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs an executive order meant to improve response times to oil- and gas-related emergencies. (Columbus Dispatch)

BIOFUELS: The American Petroleum Institute is planning a major advertising campaign in several Midwest states for reforming the federal Renewable Fuels Standard. (Washington Examiner)

UTILITIES: Kansas regulators will determine whether the proposed Westar/Great Plains Energy merger promotes the “public interest.” (Topeka Capital-Journal)

COAL:
• An Iowa company says it is laying off employees and ceasing manufacturing operations related to coal mining because of federal regulations. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• A top federal regulator says states should force coal companies to set aside collateral to pay for future mine cleanups in order to protect taxpayers. (Reuters)
• The Obama administration takes a more optimistic view of the future, saying “ex-miners can repair the damaged land [from mining] and shape a post-coal economy.” (Reuters)

***SPONSORED LINK: The 15th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fair will be held Aug. 20-21at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon, Illinois. Events include speakers, exhibits, children’s activities, music, food, and more. www.illinoisrenew.org***

TRANSMISSION:
• Construction begins on a new $54 million transmission line through South Dakota. (Rapid City Journal)
• A delegation from China visits Xcel Energy workers in Minnesota to learn transmission line maintenance. (WCCO-TV)

REGULATION: In the coming months, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the first time will be headed by three members – instead of five – all of whom are Democrats. (EnergyWire)