SOLAR: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signs a bill that phases out the state’s net metering program, sparking concern among the solar industry and advocates. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, PV Magazine)
WIND:
• Voters in Michigan’s “Thumb” region reject plans for more utility-scale wind development, causing uncertainty over future projects there. (Huron Daily Tribune)
• The U.S. wind industry reported the largest number of first-quarter installations in eight years. (Reuters)
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TRANSPORTATION:
• School districts in Michigan are hoping settlement money directed to the state from the Volkswagen emissions scandal can help the transition to electric buses. (Midwest Energy News)
• Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin may propose a new sales tax on gasoline to help fund road repairs. (Associated Press)
• Minnesota’s most populous county is transitioning its fleet of diesel-powered garbage trucks to run on compressed natural gas. (WCCO)
OIL AND GAS:
• Conservation groups sue a federal agency in an attempt to stop plans for hydraulic fracturing in Ohio’s only national forest. (Reuters)
• An Ohio coal town is hoping for a surge in natural-gas jobs. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• Critics say Minnesota Republicans are attempting to do an end-run around the state’s environmental review process for oil and gas pipelines. (Think Progress)
NUCLEAR: Southwest Michigan communities brace for the economic impacts of closing a nuclear plant there. (Marketplace)
RENEWABLES: Advocates say other communities are looking to follow the lead of Michigan cities that are committing to 100 percent renewable energy. (Yale Climate Connections)
BIOMASS: Xcel Energy agrees to help limit the economic impacts of closing a biomass plant in a western Minnesota town. (Minnesota Public Radio)
COAL: New data shows that the wage gap between the coal industry’s top executives and average coal workers has expanded. (New York Times)
UTILITIES: Michigan-based Consumers Energy reports a 20 percent increase in net income over the same period last year. (MLive)
COMMENTARY: Michigan advocates can “celebrate progress” on air pollution issues based on energy legislation signed into law last year. (Detroit News)