PETCOKE: After years of protests by nearby residents, open petroleum coke piles have been removed from the banks of the Calumet River in Chicago. (Northwest Indiana Times)
NUCLEAR: Disagreement remains over the potential impact on rates if an Illinois nuclear plant closes. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
***SPONSORED LINK: Learn about the latest in renewable energy and sustainability at The Energy Fair, June 17-19. Features include keynote speakers John Farrell and J. Drake Hamilton, 250+ workshops, 200+ exhibitors, entertainment, and more.***
BIOFUELS: As evidenced during a hearing in Kansas, wide disagreement remains over the U.S. EPA’s plan to raise ethanol standards in gasoline. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
COAL: An Ohio group opposes natural gas plant build-outs because it would negatively affect coal-related jobs in Ohio and West Virginia. (The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register)
POLICY: Energy overhaul plans are on hold in Michigan as the state Legislature breaks for several months. (MLive)
SOLAR: A Wisconsin school district is recognized for being the largest solar electricity producer among K-12 schools in the state. (Darlington Republican Journal)
PIPELINES: Construction begins on the Dakota Access oil pipeline in Iowa. (Associated Press)
EMISSIONS: An advocacy group wants an investigation into whether a major study on methane emissions was technically flawed and if pollution concerns were understated. (InsideClimate News)
RENEWABLES: Xcel Energy customers are helping fund renewable energy research in Minnesota. (St. Cloud Times)
OIL AND GAS: A new campaign is launched to attract businesses to southeast Ohio based on the area’s low natural gas prices. (Columbus Dispatch)
UTILITIES:
• Missouri regulators want utilities to work with consumer groups over changes to the ratemaking process. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• After 16 people applied, nine will be interviewed to fill a vacant seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. (Columbus Business First)
STORAGE: A unit of Exelon is investing in a battery storage company. (Utility Dive)
CLIMATE: Some federal lawmakers say momentum is building in Congress for a carbon tax. (E&E Daily)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Michigan Energy Fair announces two new partners: The Sustainable Living Summit 2016 and The Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expo, June 24-25, Ingham County Fairgrounds, Mason, Michigan. For complete information go to www.glrea.org ***
TRANSPORTATION: Officials in Columbus, Ohio make the case for a $50 million federal grant that would help develop autonomous and electric vehicles. (Columbus Dispatch)
COMMENTARY:
• The federal government should buy all existing coal plants and retire them over the next 10 years. (Washington Post)
• The former chairman and CEO of Caterpillar says when it comes to climate change and business, “Ignorance is an invitation to financial loss.” (Chicago Sun Times)
• The incoming president and CEO of Consumers of Energy says Michigan’s electric choice law is putting reliability at risk. (MLive)