CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• A small Minnesota nonprofit that acts as a third party to validate energy generation is poised to play a larger role as states devise compliance plans. (Midwest Energy News)
• Ohio and Wisconsin vow to continue the legal fight against the plan, while officials in other coal states prepare for outright defiance. (Columbus Dispatch, Associated Press, Bloomberg)
• Murray Energy also plans to join the suit as the future for coal miners in the Ohio Valley appears uncertain. (The Intelligencer)
• Leaders in Illinois and Michigan take a more cautious approach, saying they will take time to study the plan. (Associated Press)
• Minnesota is already on a path to compliance, though officials are unclear how much more will need to be done. (Minnesota Public Radio)

ALSO: Removing “building block 4” — energy efficiency — from the compliance framework appears to have been done so to pass legal muster. (Greenwire)

***SPONSORED LINK: You know an emerging leader — help them accelerate their career and nominate them to Midwest Energy News’ inaugural 40 under 40. Selection committee includes national and regional energy leaders from the Dept. of Energy, General Electric, Johnson Controls, Sunrun and more. Deadline Aug. 10.***

ILLINOIS: The Clean Power Plan announcement rekindles a political battle in Illinois over wind turbines, nuclear energy and state coal resources. (The Southern)

OIL SPILL: Enbridge and the EPA agree to extend the deadline for fines connected with the company’s 2010 oil spill in Michigan. (Inside Climate News)

COAL:
• One of the country’s largest coal producers is the latest in a string to file for bankruptcy protection amid cheap natural gas and pollution regulations. (Associated Press)
• Coal miners are “battling each other for scraps” in the Illinois and Powder River basins. (Bloomberg)

BAKKEN: A bipartisan Congressional delegation rode the rails in North Dakota to get a glimpse of how oil is transported. (Grand Forks Herald)

PIPELINE: Minnesota regulators will require the state to study the cumulative environmental effects of two new pipelines proposed by Enbridge Energy, including the 616-mile Sandpiper line. (Duluth News Tribune)

FOSSIL FUELS: Slumping commodity prices mean “consumers are rejoicing” and fossil-fuel companies “are reeling” as there is more fuel ready than needed. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Green Your Ride!  The Illinois Solar Energy Association is raffling a 2015 Tesla Model S! Only 2,000 tickets sold. 1 for $100, 4 for $300 www.illinoissolar.org ***

DEREGULATION: CEOs for FirstEnergy and AEP have a different approach on re-regulating Ohio’s energy market. (Columbus Business First)

COMMENTARY: Despite unverifiable numbers and predictions, the Clean Power Plan is the “right path” to address climate change. (Chicago Tribune)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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