COAL: An Illinois coal plant operating on a temporary permit and without modern pollution controls, is the subject of an environmental justice hearing in Chicago. (Midwest Energy News)
ALSO:
• Ohio coal miners seek new opportunities as their industry declines. (International Business Times)
• A laid-off Illinois Indiana miner files a class action lawsuit against his former employer. (Carbondale Southern Illinoisan)
• Indiana Michigan Power says it has no plans to retire a coal plant that could require billions of dollars in pollution upgrades. (Muncie Star Press)
• What would be the impact of a Peabody Energy bankruptcy? (St. Louis Public Radio)
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POLLUTION: Conservation groups will now join power companies on a board overseeing Ohio River pollution issues. (Midwest Energy News)
OIL AND GAS:
• A truck carrying fracking wastewater overturns in Ohio, contaminating a nearby reservoir. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Ohio’s production continues to increase. (Youngstown Vindicator)
PIPELINES: Sioux Falls officials grant an easement for the proposed Dakota Access pipeline, with one council member staging a protest over how landowners are treated. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)
UTILITIES:
• A survey finds utility executives are warming up to working with third-party vendors on distributed generation. (Utility Dive)
• Duke Energy Indiana reaches a settlement with consumer groups on grid modernization. (Transmission & Distribution World)
• Critics say a Minnesota utility’s resource plan is too reliant on coal. (Smart Grid News)
WIND: The Southwest Power Pool sets back-to-back records of supplying nearly 45% of its electricity from wind. (Platts)
FRAC SAND: A landowners group and industry representatives debate a proposed frac sand mining ban in a Minnesota county; an attorney says the county can impose a ban but can’t put it to a public vote. (Winona Post)
NUCLEAR: The federal government’s failure to secure a nuclear waste disposal site means some North Dakota ratepayers will see a refund. (Bismarck Tribune)
ELECTRIC CARS: A Minnesota group partners with a Nissan dealership to offer discounts on electric cars. (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
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EFFICIENCY: A public-private partnership will help support $3.3 million in upgrades for a downtown Columbus, Ohio office building. (Columbus Dispatch)
COMMENTARY: Wisconsin utilities’ solar expansion “makes good business sense.” (La Crosse Tribune)