FRACKING:
• An anti-fracking measure will be on the ballot for the sixth time in Youngstown, Ohio. (Youngstown Vindicator)
• Science advisers to the EPA conclude the agency’s report on whether fracking pollutes drinking water across the nation is “comprehensive but lacking in several critical areas.” (Washington Post)
OVERSIGHT: Michigan’s new top environmental regulator says her past work as an oil and gas lobbyist won’t affect how the agency is run. (Associated Press)
***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 ***
PIPELINES:
• Ten activists protesting a North Dakota pipeline are arrested on trespassing charges. (Bismarck Tribune)
• How the Dakota Access pipeline will shake up oil delivery in the U.S. (Reuters)
OIL AND GAS:
• Industry groups say the federal government has illegally called off leasing sales on public lands. (Associated Press)
• Increased use of natural gas for electricity production is not expected to impact heating prices this winter. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
COAL: A Michigan coal plant is shut down after a fire in a generating unit, no injuries have been reported. (CBS Detroit)
TRANSMISSION: An Illinois court reverses a decision by state regulators granting a certificate of need for the Rock Island Clean Line. (Moline Dispatch Argus)
SOLAR: After an initial rejection by local officials an Iowa town’s library now has solar panels. (Mason City Globe Gazette)
EFFICIENCY: A utility’s efficiency program is extended to its Kansas customers, but consumer advocates say it won’t justify the cost. (Midwest Energy News)
TRANSPORTATION: Ford gets a $6 million grant from the Department of Energy to research hydrogen fuel cells. (MLive)
FRAC SAND: A Minnesota county moves toward tougher regulation of sand mining, but not an outright ban. (Winona Daily News)
***SPONSORED LINK: The 15th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fair will be held Aug. 20-21at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon, Illinois. Events include speakers, exhibits, children’s activities, music, food, and more.www.illinoisrenew.org***
ADVOCACY: Sister Paula Gonzalez, an Ohio advocate known as the “solar nun,” dies at age 83. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
COMMENTARY:
• A University of Chicago researcher says subsidizing nuclear plants doesn’t solve long-term grid problems. (Forbes)
• How subsidies for cellulosic biofuels are a lifeline for the corn ethanol industry. (In These Times)
• “Business as usual” is holding back clean energy development in Missouri. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)