MINNESOTA: State regulators start hearings today on how the agency will determine the pollution-related costs of generation from fossil fuels. (Minnesota Public Radio)

SOLAR:
• A first-term tea party lawmaker in Michigan plans to introduce legislation that would lift the state’s cap on net metering, saying he wants to “incentivize” more renewables. (Midwest Energy News)
• Alliant Energy announces a $5 million solar installation and research project at its headquarters in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

***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 ***

MERGER: Regulators reject a proposed $6.4 billion takeover of Pepco Holdings by Chicago-based Exelon, saying it wouldn’t be in the best interest of ratepayers. (Washington Post)

FRAC SAND: One commercial port in Wisconsin has seen no shipments of frac sand this year due to the fracking slowdown across the Midwest. (Winona Daily News)

COAL: “Coal baron” founder of Murray Energy explains how the company will navigate tough economic times with the recent purchase of Columbian coal mines. (Bloomberg News)

CLIMATE TREATY: Staffers from both sides of the aisle are meeting with foreign officials to either assure them of U.S. climate commitments or to convince them that the Clean Power Plan may be invalidated. (Greenwire)

NUCLEAR: An alliance of local officials in eastern Michigan formally oppose a Canadian company’s plans to store nuclear waste near Lake Huron. (MLive)

EFFICIENCY: A Wisconsin-based energy efficiency firm is expanding into Canada. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

GASOLINE: BP restarts a faulty unit at its Indiana refinery, which is expected to drive gasoline prices back down in the Great Lakes region. (New York Times)

CLIMATE: President Obama launches a “climate tour” to defend and continue federal investments in clean-energy development. (ClimateWire)

CO-OPS: A Republican lawmaker from Iowa will resign from office to take a job leading the state’s electric co-op trade association. (Radio Iowa)

COMMENTARY:
• Peabody Energy hires outside “experts” to try to influence a coming decision by Minnesota regulators to estimate statewide costs of burning fossil fuels. (MinnPost)
• Given Michigan’s safety track record on fracking, it does not need stronger federal regulations over the industry. (Boyne Gazette)
• “The market is speaking” for more solar energy in Indiana, “but the governor keeps covering his ears.” (NUVO)
• A Wisconsin solar project announced last week is a sound investment toward future needs. (Gazette Xtra)