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CLEAN POWER PLAN: Minnesota lawmakers seek public input on what to do with the state’s largest and most polluting coal plant as it complies with federal rules. (Midwest Energy News)
OHIO: Advocates say resuming clean energy standards will bring major health benefits statewide — an issue that a legislative study committee did not discuss. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Hear top executives from the area’s RTOs, utilities, transmission developers, and state regulatory agencies discuss and debate critical issues at EUCI’s Transmission Expansion in the Midwest conference November 9-10 in Indianapolis.***
CLIMATE: Senate Democrats are expected to unveil today a sweeping climate change proposal with even tougher emissions reductions than what President Obama has proposed. (New York Times)
SOLAR: The number of rate cases in which utilities seek to recover costs from net metering or distributed generation customers has doubled over the past year. Experts push for compromise. (Utility Dive)
PIPELINE: Northeast Ohio residents continue to struggle with keeping gas company surveyors off their property in planning a new natural gas pipeline. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
OIL BY RAIL: An Illinois town reviews its emergency response planning six months after an oil tanker exploded there. (Telegraph Herald)
VW POLLUTION CASE:
• Volkswagen says 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with the same technology that was used to cheat on emissions tests in the U.S. and sets aside over $7 billion to pay for fixes. (New York Times)
• U.S. Sen. Fred Upton from Michigan will lead a congressional panel looking into VW. (MLive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: UPS buys 125 new hybrid electric vehicles for its delivery fleet from a Cincinnati-based company. (Cincinnati Business Courier)
CARBON: The number of companies worldwide that set an internal price on carbon emissions nearly tripled over the past year. (ClimateWire)
OIL AND GAS:
• An Illinois company suspects foul play after an explosion in a crude oil well destroyed one of its facilities. (Reuters)
• Local officials in Michigan are optimistic the Legislature will pass a bill banning oil injection wells to protect groundwater. (Toledo Blade)
FRAC SAND: Wisconsin communities pay a heavy price as the market for frac sand collapses. (Bloomberg)
COAL:
• Beloit College in Wisconsin is in the process of converting an old coal plant into a student union and recreation center. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• Emails show Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin was pressed by fossil fuel executives to pay more attention to oil and coal in recent public remarks. (Greenwire)
COMMENTARY:
• A conservative think tank says the Clean Power Plan will lead to higher electricity prices in Ohio because of its dependence on coal. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• “The truth is,” the Clean Power Plan will grow the economy, reduce adverse health impacts and protect natural resources. (MLive)
• ComEd grid specialists say the company’s microgrid plan for Illinois is a “utility-of-the-future” solution to grid security and resiliency. (The Energy Times)