CLEAN POWER PLAN: A voluntary program within the federal Clean Power Plan would help drive clean energy investments in low-income communities and “could become a powerful tool to advance environmental justice.” (Midwest Energy news)

SOLAR:
• An eastern Iowa county moves forward with two new solar projects. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Electric cooperatives in Minnesota stir backlash for instituting new fees – as high as $89 a month – on customers generating their own electricity. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• A community outside of Columbus, Ohio is turning to bulk-buying to lower the installation costs of solar projects. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Students at the University of Michigan win a solar-powered vehicle race for the sixth consecutive time. (University of Michigan)

***SPONSORED LINK: EnergyStorage Global Innovation Forum, September 12-13 in Chicago brings together top experts from ComEd, Oncor, PowerStream, PJM, Midwest ISO, ARPA-E, Argonne National Lab and many others to examine grid-level and behind-the-meter storage business models, technology innovations and opportunities.  Visit www.esinnovationforum.com ***

WIND:
• An Illinois community college is meeting 41 percent of its energy needs with a wind turbine that became operational four years ago. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
• A 97-turbine wind project has raised concerns for the Missouri Department of Conservation. (St. Joseph News-Press)

PIPELINES:
• A former crew member on a pipeline project in North Dakota says a lake could be at risk because the pipeline was not properly inspected. (Forum News Service)
• A series of public meetings are scheduled in Ohio and Michigan in the coming weeks over the proposed NEXUS gas pipeline. (Toledo Blade)
• Local officials discuss the feasibility of a new natural gas line through northern Iowa. (Mason City Globe Gazette)

EFFICIENCY: Wisconsin is poised to benefit from the growth of the energy efficiency market. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Auto dealerships, utilities and clean energy advocates in Wisconsin are offering rebates to drive electric vehicle adoption. (LaCrosse Tribune)

OIL AND GAS:
• BP reduces its wastewater discharges into Lake Michigan to acceptable levels from its Whiting, Indiana refinery. (Reuters)
• An appeals court upholds a decision to throw out a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an incident at a North Dakota drilling site five years ago. (Associated Press)
• A steel company says it should not be liable for faulty parts on an oil tanker that led to a train derailment in North Dakota two years ago. (Associated Press)
• Rental prices have dropped off in a North Dakota oil patch town as the oil slump continues. (KFYR-TV)

***SPONSORED LINK: Nominations for 40 Under 40 close tomorrow at noon central. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to recognize a clean energy leader within your network. ***

UTILITIES: Consumers Energy is donating surplus items from one of its recently retired coal plants in eastern Michigan to local charities. (MLive)

COMMENTARY: It’s a “dangerous mistake” to portray natural gas as a transitional fuel and as a cleaner energy source than other fossil fuels. (Pacific Standard)