WIND:
• An Illinois wind farm could be the first in the nation to decommission its entire fleet of turbines and replace them with upgraded models. (Dixon Telegraph)
• A county official in eastern Wisconsin delays discussion at a board meeting on alleged health impacts from wind turbines amid concerns about tax revenue. (Manitowoc Herald Times)
COAL:
• Two Democratic lawmakers in Ohio support FirstEnergy’s latest “bailout” proposal out of concerns for losing local jobs, though advocates say the proposal does not assure the jobs will stay. (Midwest Energy News)
• Indiana is among three states that could get millions of dollars for coal mine cleanup as Peabody Energy moves through bankruptcy; a U.S. court also approves setting aside up to $16.2 million in bonuses for Peabody executives. (Reuters)
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CLIMATE: Fuel economy has become a key piece of the U.S.’s international carbon-cutting commitments. (ClimateWire)
SOLAR: If statewide solar incentive policies aren’t structured well, experts say they can overwhelm a state’s budget. (Utility Dive)
PIPELINES:
• North Dakota regulators approve siting permits for two oil pipelines and a natural gas pipeline. (Associated Press)
• The leader of the Sioux tribe has contacted the White House and met with North Dakota’s senators seeking help to block the Dakota Access pipeline. (Associated Press)
• Tribal members in Nebraska take supplies to pipeline protesters in North Dakota. (Lincoln Journal Star)
GRID:
• Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder wants grid operator MISO to study the potential for better transmission opportunities between Ontario and Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. (Associated Press)
• A FirstEnergy subsidiary continues work on a $115 million plan to upgrade transmission infrastructure around Toledo, Ohio. (T&D World)
REGULATION: An Ohio lawmaker is trying again to regulate “submetering” companies that mark up the cost for electricity in certain apartments and condominiums. (Columbus Dispatch)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: A local energy firm may take over the contract for operating a waste-to-energy facility in downtown Minneapolis. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)
UTILITIES: Michigan’s largest municipal utility grapples with developing a new long-term strategic plan amid major changes in the energy sector. (Lansing State Journal)
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CYBERSECURITY: The University of Illinois receives a $19 million federal grant to study threats to the nation’s power grid and come up with responses. (CBS Chicago)
COMMENTARY:
• After finding that South Dakota improperly spent more than $20 million in federal stimulus funds, “It’s even harder to understand why there is so little apparent interest in promoting energy efficiency.” (Rapid City Journal)
• An Indiana utility is using stall tactics to slow renewable energy development and continues to “gouge” ratepayers by spending money on extending the life of a coal plant. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)