NUCLEAR:
• The Illinois House is expected to consider a sweeping energy bill tomorrow that could prevent two Exelon nuclear plants from closing while also prioritizing renewable energy and utility ethics reforms. (Reuters)
• A Wisconsin judge will allow a demolition contractor to participate in a regulatory case involving the decommissioning of a nuclear plant, which the contractor says it could accomplish at a lower cost. (Wisconsin State Journal)
SOLAR:
• A research project in Iowa seeks to create a business model for monetizing carbon sequestration at solar project sites by incorporating crops that store significant carbon underground. (Energy News Network)
• A mining company in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula proposes a 150 MW solar project on a 1,080-acre parcel currently used for recreational purposes. (MLive)
• NextEra Energy is considering a large-scale solar project in eastern Wisconsin, though local residents want more details. (Green Bay Press Gazette)
• Consumers Energy expects to purchase power from four new solar projects set to come online next year that total more than 100 MW. (MiBiz)
• A western Michigan county is set to consider solar regulations that address glare, setback distances and decommissioning. (Ludington Daily News)
CLIMATE:
• A Chicago scholar recently hired into Loyola University’s School of Environmental Sustainability hopes his new position will help advance climate research into public policy action. (Energy News Network)
• A University of Michigan environmental justice researcher says the global climate crisis has been caused by a gradual breakdown in relationships, and to solve the problem those relationships must be fixed first. (Grist)
AIR POLLUTION: Environmental groups call on officials in Springfield, Illinois to establish a pollution-related alert system following a recent ash cloud that spread from a coal plant. (State Journal-Register)
OIL & GAS:
• An Ohio agency plans to search for orphan oil wells after a dormant well dating back to the 1930s was recently found to be leaking into a state-owned lake. (Columbus Dispatch)
• A federal appeals court denies a natural gas company’s request to reconsider a June ruling requiring the company to shut down a natural gas pipeline in St. Louis. (Reuters)
• The Indiana Department of Natural Resources joins environmental groups in raising concerns about a proposed natural gas pipeline that would run underneath the Ohio River. (WFYI)
TRANSPORTATION: Chicago is among three U.S. cities to receive a $100,000 grant to support local partners working to achieve 100% zero-emissions commercial vehicles in their cities by 2030. (Smart Cities Dive)
UTILITIES: Wisconsin utility Madison Gas and Electric agrees to reduce flat monthly fees charged to all electricity customers, bringing it in line with other utilities in the region. (Wisconsin State Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• An Indiana clean energy advocate says Duke Energy’s upcoming long-term energy plan should include the early retirement of its coal plants. (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
• An Illinois energy bill could not only speed up the closure of fossil fuel plants but also “deliver good jobs and a small measure of accountability for Commonwealth Edison,” a columnist says. (Better Government Association)