EMISSIONS: A promising technology under development at Ohio State University converts fossil fuels into electricity without emitting carbon dioxide, which could be a breakthrough for “clean coal.” (Midwest Energy News)
FRAC SAND: Wisconsin lawmakers fail to advance legislation that would have cleared the way for a controversial frac sand operation. (La Crosse Tribune)
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OIL AND GAS:
• An eastern Iowa power plant that was converted to natural gas in 2015 will close on June 1, six years ahead of schedule. (Clinton Herald)
• State officials will soon begin cleaning contaminants from a former oil refinery in western Michigan. (Associated Press)
• The governors of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania extend an agreement to boost shale gas production for three more years. (Pittsburgh Business Times)
• Air and water permits are still under review for a proposed oil refinery near a national park in North Dakota. (Associated Press)
WIND:
• A clean energy advocate says a Minnesota bill to finance life-extending upgrades at Xcel Energy’s nuclear fleet could hurt wind energy development. (Midwest Energy News)
• County officials in central Illinois approve plans for a 200 megawatt wind project a month after approving a 250 MW project. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
SOLAR:
• Climate change impacts are speeding solar development in Cincinnati. (Yale Climate Connections)
• A Michigan school district is expected to save $45,000 annually with a 1.1 MW solar project. (pv Magazine)
• An Illinois county moves forward with plans for a solar project at a former landfill. (WIFR)
AIR POLLUTION: Transportation replaces heavy industry and coal plants as the primary driver of northeast Ohio’s air pollution. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
COAL:
• An Indiana city lands a $9 million state tax credit to build a data center at a former coal plant along Lake Michigan. (Times of Northwest Indiana)
• Customers of an Indiana utility could pay an additional $14 a month to replace old coal plants. (StateHouseFile.com)
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COMMENTARY:
• An Iowa bill to make energy efficiency programs optional would jeopardize the state’s clean energy jobs market, a solar installer says. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Advocates say Illinois regulators are poised to make key decisions in the coming weeks that will shape long-term renewable energy development. (Environmental Defense Fund)
MORE FROM THE ENERGY NEWS NETWORK: American Indian tribes in the path of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline want to stop construction until regulators can ensure their artifacts and land won’t be damaged. (Southeast Energy News)