SOLAR:
• Minnesota electric cooperatives are imposing some of the highest fixed charges in the country on customers who generate their own solar power, potentially discouraging others to install their own systems. (Midwest Energy News)
• States are dialing back solar incentives amid pressure from local utilities. (Wall Street Journal/Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
• A Missouri resident’s legal case against a homeowners association to keep solar panels on his property drags on. (St. Joseph News-Press)
CLEAN ENERGY: Although a recent report shows a net gain in clean energy jobs in Ohio, most of them were for out-of-state projects and two bills from 2014 contributed to job losses in the wind sector. (Midwest Energy News)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Minnesota lawmakers consider new rebates for purchasing electric vehicles that would be funded by pulling money from solar energy subsidies. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
GRID: Minnesota regulators’ advanced grid planning process is taking longer than expected. (Greentech Media)
TRANSMISSION: The Obama administration’s involvement in building out renewable energy infrastructure with a new transmission project has heightened political tension. (EnergyWire)
POLITICS: Former Ohio governor and U.S. Senate candidate Ted Strickland says he is honored by his recent endorsement by the League of Conservation Voters, saying clean energy is a “tremendous source of opportunity” in Ohio. (Toledo Blade)
BIOFUELS: The Iowa legislature approves a tax credit for companies that make new products from what’s leftover after making biofuels. (Radio Iowa)
COAL:
• A Missouri-based coal company will extend the time period in which it will file a bankruptcy reorganization plan. (St. Louis Business Journal)
• Michigan-based Consumers Energy says it is a leader as one of top two utilities in the nation shutting down coal generation. (MLive)
OIL AND GAS: North Dakota officials force a company to remove its above-ground well pump after neighbors complain that it’s an eyesore and dangerous. (Bismarck Tribune)
FRACKING: Hydraulic fracturing now accounts for more than half of all U.S. oil output per day, compared to 2 percent in 2000. (Grist)
NUCLEAR: FirstEnergy’s Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ohio is shut down for refueling and maintenance, which could take up to a month. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
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CLIMATE: The State Department’s top climate diplomat reflects on nearly two decades’ worth of experience in global climate negotiations. (ClimateWire)
COMMENTARY:
• An Ohio state senator says it’s critical for the Kasich administration to develop a Clean Power Plan compliance strategy. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
• Advocates say the Midwest is a national leader in bringing new wind generation online. (Daily Globe)