NUCLEAR:
• Ohio-based FirstEnergy is said to be pursuing “zero emission credits” for its struggling nuclear plants, a plan modeled off of one recently adopted in Illinois and which could generate $300 million annually for the utility. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• The head of grid operator PJM says such subsidies for nuclear plants “run the risk of skewing competitive markets.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

DEMAND RESPONSE: Two recent reports say incentives for reducing Michigan ratepayers’ electric demand will play a valuable role in limiting the need for new natural gas plants as the state addresses capacity shortfalls. (Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE: Researchers say a national climate report due every four years is moving forward and drawing on data from Ohio and other states, despite uncertainty over climate policy from the Trump administration. (Midwest Energy News)

WIND: A Madison, Wisconsin utility is planning to build a $107 million, 66-megawatt wind farm in northeast Iowa. (Wisconsin State Journal)

RENEWABLES: Ohio state Rep. Bill Seitz, a vocal opponent of the state’s clean energy standards, vows to roll back the laws once again by making them voluntary until 2027. (Columbus Business First)

PIPELINES:
• “Some will get arrested” as a showdown looms between law enforcement and Dakota Access protesters who plan to stay beyond today’s evacuation deadline. (Reuters)
• Iowa landowners plan to appeal their case against using eminent domain for the Dakota Access pipeline to the state Supreme Court. (Radio Iowa)
• A legal memo the Trump administration has quietly suspended could provide support for tribes who have been pushing for further environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline. (EnergyWire)

SOLAR:
• A Sierra Club chapter in southeast Michigan says increasing property taxes on residents who install solar in Ann Arbor undermines the city’s goals. (MLive)
• Local officials in a southern Minnesota town give details about subscription plans for an anticipated 5-megawatt community solar project. (St. Peter Herald)
• A developer proposes a solar project at a southeast Michigan wastewater treatment facility. (Observer & Eccentric)

COAL:
• Dozens of Indiana residents speak out against a utility’s plan to invest $250 million in upgrading an aging coal plant. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
• Indiana is on the front lines of coal plant closures since President Trump took office. (ClimateWire)

OIL AND GAS: North Dakota is among four states where researchers found a total of 6,648 spills over the past 10 years related to hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells. (Phys.org)

SMART METERS: Some residents complain during a state House committee hearing about smart meters being installed on residential properties in Michigan. (WWJ)

GRID: Local residents speak out against a proposed transmission route in southwest Michigan. (MLive)

UTILITIES: Some Suburban Chicago residents are on notice about receiving aggressive sales pitches from alternative energy suppliers. (CBS Chicago)