OHIO: In the weeks leading up to a committee report on the next step of Ohio’s energy standards freeze, a key Republican lawmaker offers: “We’re not prepared to continue our march up State Mandate Mountain.” (Columbus Business First)

SOLAR:
• A federal ruling on power purchasing could resolve a dispute in Iowa between a school district generating excess solar energy and a municipal energy agency. (Midwest Energy News)
• Kansas-based Westar is seeking proposals to build a 1-10 MW community solar project. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
• A utility announces plans for northern Minnesota’s first community solar project. (Duluth News Tribune)

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CLEAN POWER PLAN: Ohio’s EPA director will testify today in Washington against the plan and highlight the harm he says closing power plants would bring to his home state. (Washington Examiner)

PIPELINES:
• A federal judge in Minneapolis hears two hours of oral arguments against the expansion of an Enbridge pipeline in northern Minnesota. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Piping is being staged in four states for the $3.8 billion Dakota Access project even though the project still needs final approval from state regulators. (Associated Press)

NUCLEAR: While two Exelon nuclear plants have gotten reprieve after a recent capacity auction, the immediate future of a third in a different grid operator’s zone is less certain. (Herald-Review)

WASTE: A hazardous-waste processing facility in Detroit is poised to grow over 10 times in size. (CBS Detroit)

COAL: Regulators in Ohio and Pennsylvania object to the reorganization of Patriot Coal in bankruptcy court, saying it will leave the company without the ability to address pollution and cleanup efforts. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Events around the country for National Electric Drive Week look to spur interest in consumer purchasing. (Midwest Energy News)

BIOFUELS: Iowa is one of 21 states receiving a federal grant to expand the number of pumps at gas stations with higher-blended ethanol. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

OIL AND GAS:
• Ohio-based Marathon is considering spending billions to reverse natural-gas pipelines in order to ship liquids from the east to the Gulf Coast. (Columbus Business First)
• The oil boom isn’t helping North Dakota cities — instead, the demand for services is outpacing the growth in tax revenues. (Governing)
• Two spills were reported this week at sites in North Dakota. (Bismarck Tribune)

OZONE: A lack of data on ozone emissions from Asia is making it difficult for the Obama administration to craft regulations without a significant industry fight. (Greenwire)

COMMENTARY:
• Keeping a ban on crude oil exports would derail the U.S.’s position as a leader in oil and gas production. (Southern Illinoisan)
• U.S. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin want to make oil train safety a priority. (Winona Daily News)