NUCLEAR:
• While touring a new natural gas plant near Toledo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he opposes rate increases to help support two struggling nuclear plants in the state. (Toledo Blade, Associated Press)
• The legal battle over zero-emissions credits for Illinois nuclear plants will continue. (Illinois News Network)
SOLAR:
• A team at Northwestern University in Illinois is completing a fully solar-powered home to compete in a national competition. (Midwest Energy News)
• The “threat of a very large price hike” is looming for U.S. solar installers if a requested tariff on imported panels is approved. (NPR)
• Catholic officials in Iowa are increasingly promoting the benefits of solar power. (Des Moines Register)
• Minnesota is one of a few states across the U.S. that have taken early steps to encourage community solar. (Huffington Post)
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PIPELINES: Energy Transfer’s Rover pipeline has racked up more environmental violations than other major interstate natural gas pipelines built in the last two years. (Bloomberg)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A federal magistrate orders two Michigan lawmakers to turn over lobbyist emails as Tesla challenges a state law requiring vehicles to be sold through authorized dealers. (Detroit News)
GRID: Regional grid operators across the country report that they had no issues managing the decline in output during yesterday’s solar eclipse. (RTO Insider)
WIND:
• Rural electric cooperatives are increasingly turning to wind energy due to federal tax credits and state renewable energy mandates. (Utility Dive)
• The Ohio Power Siting Board will hold a public hearing in November on plans to put six wind turbines in Lake Erie. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• Engine manufacturer Cummins is financing a 75-megawatt expansion at an existing wind project in northern Indiana. (Indiana Public Media)
MICROGRIDS: Ameren and S&C Electric Co. conducted a successful 24-hour islanding test of a microgrid in Champaign, Illinois. (Electric Light & Power)
UTILITIES: Standard & Poor’s further lowers its ratings for bonds sold by FirstEnergy Solutions because it believes the company will soon seek bankruptcy protection. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
COAL:
• The Trump administration rebuffs an industry request to use an emergency order to protect coal plants. (Associated Press)
• The Interior Department halts a scientific study started under President Obama on the public health risks of mountaintop-removal coal mining. (New York Times)
EFFICIENCY: A 123-year-old mansion in Detroit that also includes a popular restaurant will be the first Property Assessed Clean Energy financing project in the county. (Model D Media)
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OIL AND GAS: Residential natural gas customers of a South Dakota-based power company will have the option to enroll in a program that locks in gas prices for a year. (Lincoln Journal Star)
COMMENTARY:
• Michigan is primed for its electric vehicle sector to take off, but advocates say several policy barriers must first be removed. (Midwest Energy News)
• A clean energy advocate explains why Minnesota’s community solar program is the “best in the country.” (MinnPost)