OHIO: Large manufacturers and other big energy users are lining up in opposition to long-term power purchase agreements for FirstEnergy and AEP. (Columbus Business First)
PIPELINE: Overturning a previous decision by state regulators, the Minnesota Appeals Court is requiring an environmental review of the $2.6 billion Sandpiper pipeline before the project can proceed. (Minnesota Public Radio)
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EFFICIENCY:
• Local officials in Saginaw, Michigan approve spending $1.8 million to convert the city’s roughly 6,000 streetlights to LEDs. (MLive)
• Construction is scheduled to start soon on a major apartment development in Kansas City using advanced efficiency design. (Associated Press)
SOLAR: Officials will dedicate Michigan’s largest solar project today: a 1.1 MW facility near Ann Arbor. (WILX-TV)
CLIMATE CHANGE: A majority of rural Nebraskans say the state should start preparing for climate change to reduce its impact on agriculture and natural resources. (Lincoln Journal Star)
OIL AND GAS:
• The danger of exposure to vapors from oil tanks is just now being understood, as at least nine oil field workers have died since 2010 from inhaling the substances. (EnergyWire)
• North Dakota produced near-record levels of oil and gas in July despite low crude prices. (Associated Press)
• Environmental groups ask President Obama to halt new leases for extracting oil, gas and coal on federal land and water. (InsideClimate News)
NUCLEAR: A new report suggests all that is missing from deploying nuclear on a broad scale in developed countries is “political will, strategic economic planning, and public acceptance.” (Scientific American)
FRAC SAND: A Texas company is idling its frac sand operation in Wisconsin due to plunging oil prices. (Marshfield News Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• Under Indiana leadership, “Hoosiers who believe climate change is imperiling lives, health and economic well-being are at a disadvantage.” (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
• Springfield, Missouri should hold off on the use of coal-tar-based road sealant — which is banned elsewhere — until its safety is determined. (Springfield News-Herald)
• Give nuclear plants the support they need now so it can be a valuable energy source in the future. (New Jersey Courier-Post)