CLEAN POWER PLAN: A League of Conservation Voters poll finds a majority of voters support the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)

SOLAR:
• Amid an inquiry by state officials, an Iowa co-op withdraws plans for an additional $57.50 monthly fee on its customers who self-generate power with solar. (Midwest Energy News)
• Solar companies criticize Xcel Energy for a slow rollout of Minnesota’s community solar program. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Leading solar installer SolarCity produces a study to help utilities and system operators better integrate distributed generation. (Utility Dive)
• A new study says variable pricing could resolve disputes over the value of solar in Hawaii. (Utility Dive)

WIND:
• Researchers find a way to site wind turbines that minimizes impact on eagles. (Popular Science)
• MidAmerican Energy announces two new projects in Iowa, totaling 552 MW. (The Gazette)

UTILITIES: Texas regulators struggle with the bankruptcy of a major holding company that holds stakes in three key pieces of the state’s infrastructure. (Texas Tribune)

COAL:
• A growing number of Appalachian coal mining communities are urging Republicans in Congress to support a $1 billion aid program. (Reuters)
• A West Virginia county struggles as coal’s decline generates less tax revenue to pay for county services. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• The Lummi tribe in Washington state says “we have faith” that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will reject a proposed coal terminal that will interfere with tribal fishing areas. (Bellingham Herald)
• A high-profile coal to gas conversion in New York is on hold amid a lawsuit over subsidies. (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

OIL AND GAS:
• Ohio continues record-setting shale production despite warnings that falling oil prices will cause the industry to decline. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Opponents in Pennsylvania file a legal challenge claiming a pipeline developer is not a public utility and therefore can’t use eminent domain. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
• A ban on offshore drilling is among the bills California lawmakers have shelved for the year. (Los Angeles Times)

PETCOKE: Activists on Chicago’s Southeast Side team up with hackers to develop a text-message alert system notifying residents when strong winds create conditions for petcoke to spread through the air. (Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE: Advocates in Santa Fe, New Mexico are urging city and county officials to adopt a $2 per month impact fee to go toward greenhouse gas initiatives. (Albuquerque Journal)

GRID: The U.S. Dept. of Energy is opening its loan guarantees to projects that aggregate distributed energy resources. (Greentech Media)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Eight landfill gas projects in North Carolina are producing enough electricity to power 5,000 homes. (Renewable Energy World)

ELECTRIC CARS: The Tesla Model S P85D is Consumer Reports‘ highest-rated car ever, breaking the magazine’s rating scale with 103 out of 100 possible points. (Huffington Post)

COMMENTARY: Industry-backed reports are spreading misinformation about the Clean Power Plan. (Huffington Post)

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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