OHIO: Republican lawmakers in Ohio introduce a bill that will once again attempt to make the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards voluntary. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

ALSO: American Electric Power supports subsidies for FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants, a document FirstEnergy used to pitch lawmakers on its proposal has been removed from the internet. (Columbus Business First, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

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PIPELINES:
• A judge denies a last-ditch effort by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to stop the Dakota Access pipeline on religious grounds, tribal activists plan to continue protests against the project in Washington D.C. later this week. (Bismarck Tribune, Associated Press)
• Developers say oil could begin flowing through the pipeline as early as next week. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Hundreds of activists protest a proposed crude oil pipeline extension in Minnesota. (Minnesota Public Radio)

IOWA:
• Iowa State University supports a plan to place an energy research center under state control, a move critics say will align it too closely with utilities. (Des Moines Register)
• State officials seek input on how to spend $21 million in Volkswagen settlement money. (Radio Iowa)

COAL: Peabody Energy arranges a $14.5 million bond pool in Indiana as part of a broader agreement to set aside collateral to cover future mine cleanup costs. (Reuters)

OIL AND GAS: North Dakota’s Supreme Court says a county cannot veto the location of an oil and gas waste treatment plant. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• A Michigan company that manufactures components for solar systems files for bankruptcy. (MiBiz)
• A recap of the broad opposition that emerged against an Indiana solar bill. (Indiana Lawyer)
• A Nebraska city plans a 1 MW solar pilot project. (Grand Island Independent)

GEOTHERMAL: A Minnesota electric cooperative embraces geothermal, calling it the “technology of the future.” (Finance & Commerce)

ELECTRIC CARS: A Minnesota dealership offers a sneak peek at the Chevy Bolt. (WCCO)

COMMENTARY:
• A newspaper editorial argues that any increase in Minnesota’s renewable energy standard is “a step in the right direction.” (Hutchinson Leader)
• The director of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum says the state’s renewable energy standard is working. (Detroit News)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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