CLIMATE: Minnesota becomes the first Midwest state to join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a group of states committed to upholding Paris Agreement targets despite President Trump’s pledge to withdraw from the accord. (Minnesota Public Radio)

ALSO:
• The CEO of Wisconsin-based We Energies says despite Trump’s decision, the company still anticipates tougher carbon regulations in the future. (WUWM)
• More than 1,200 corporations, academic institutions and state and local governments have committed to upholding U.S. climate action. (Climate Central)
• An Illinois professor discusses what exiting the Paris Agreement means for Midwest agriculture. (Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting)

CLEANTECH: A report finds venture capitalists are losing interest in clean energy, apart from software development, and much of their investments are focused outside the Midwest. (Midwest Energy News)

SMART GRID: Chicago-based Invenergy is launching a 10-year venture fund aimed at startups that want to help digitize the electric grid. (Greentech Media)

BIOENERGY: A provision in a recently signed Minnesota bill will allow clean energy funds to be used to shut down a pair of biomass plants. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

NUCLEAR: Utilities are likely to push harder for nuclear subsidies following the results of a recent PJM capacity auction. (Utility Dive)

COAL:
• The CEO of American Electric Power says the utility will continue moving away from coal: “Our investors certainly expect us to really focus on sustainability and de-risk our business.” (Greentech Media/NPR)
• The Sierra Club is expected to testify today against an Ohio bill that would provide subsidies for two coal-fired power plants. (Columbus Dispatch)
• A Missouri utility announces it will retire six coal units by the end of 2019. (Power Engineering)

NATURAL GAS: MISO plans to share information on gas usage by power plants with pipeline operators as part of a reliability pilot program. (RTO Insider)

FRACKING: Activists in Youngstown, Ohio are expected to try a seventh time to pass a ballot measure banning fracking in the city. (Youngstown Vindicator)

SOLAR:
• An Iowa county launches a solar group-buying program. (KCRG)
• Students at an Ohio university participate in a national competition to expand solar in low- and middle-income communities. (Mashable)

COMMENTARY: President Trump missed an opportunity to use the Paris climate accord as the linchpin of an “America First” clean energy strategy, says the senior vice president at Greentech Media.