POLITICS: An analysis shows that all but four members of Michigan’s legislature have taken campaign contributions from the state’s two major utilities, while more than half list DTE and Consumers Energy among their top 10 donors. (Michigan Campaign Finance Network)
ALSO: A North Dakota congressman and self-identified climate skeptic has emerged as one of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s key energy advisers. (Midwest Energy News)
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PIPELINES:
• In a closing chapter to the 2010 inland oil spill in Michigan, Enbridge Energy agrees to pay $177 million as part of a consent decree with the U.S. government. (Detroit News)
• A six-year timeline since the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill. (MLive)
• The activist group “100 Grannies for a Livable Future” stage a satirical play in Des Moines, Iowa, in opposition to the Dakota Access oil pipeline. (WHO-TV)
• Local officials in southeast Michigan are considering formal opposition to the proposed NEXUS gas pipeline. (MLive)
• Iowa regulators debate the process by which complaints are heard against projects, stemming from approval of the Dakota Access pipeline. (Fort Dodge Messenger)
COAL:
• The mayor of a Minnesota town doesn’t share the same alarm as some lawmakers over decommissioning units of a major coal plant there, saying any impacts will be mitigated by constructing replacement generation. (Midwest Energy News)
• A company applies to mine for coal on 299 acres in a southeast Ohio county. (Athens Messenger)
WIND:
• Developers file an application for a 300-megawatt wind project in North Dakota, the largest single application that’s been filed there. (Bismarck Tribune)
• An Illinois county will take more public input on revising a zoning ordinance for wind turbines. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
CLIMATE:
• The Republican Mayor of Carmel, Indiana and a pledged delegate at the Republican National Convention has for years maintained a climate-friendly agenda. (Grist)
• New research shows that the tobacco and oil industries “have been linked for decades.” (ClimateWire)
OIL AND GAS:
• Officials say more than 10,000 gallons of an oil and water mixture have spilled at a North Dakota well site. (Associated Press)
• Consumer advocates in Ohio oppose a natural gas marketer’s request to verify contracts for new service online. (Columbus Dispatch)
GRID: Grid operators are designing new mechanisms to get reliability and flexibility from distributed generation, which is slowly taking the place of demand response. (Utility Dive)
UTILITIES: Kansas City-based Great Plains Energy beat out eight other suitors that were interested in acquiring Westar Energy. (Kansas City Business Journal)
BIOFUELS: In a recent national survey, more than half of U.S. drivers said they were unfamiliar with ethanol and pay “little to no attention” to whether it’s in gasoline they purchase. (Reuters)
HEAT WAVE:
• Grid operator MISO is telling utilities in its service area to suspend non-essential transmission line maintenance in preparation for this week’s heat wave. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Ohio electric providers say they’re ready to handle the increased demand. (Columbus Dispatch)
• While the grid will be able to support the increased capacity, a Minnesota researcher says aging infrastructure is making the grid more vulnerable. (Minnesota Public Radio)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tesla’s new master plan calls for a broader fleet of electric vehicles and self-driving electric cars that can be part of ride-sharing programs. (MLive)