SOLAR:
• A new law in Indiana is jeopardizing schools’ ability to lower their energy costs by installing solar panels. (WBOI)
• Cedar Rapids, Iowa installs solar panels to power drinking water stations around the city. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• An Iowa Catholic church installs solar panels “as a part of Pope Francis’ call to care for the earth.” (WHO-TV)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Some Midwest cities receive credit for expanding energy efficiency programs for low-income residents. (Governing Magazine)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A new report finds Michigan ratepayers could save billions of dollars over the coming decades with a shift to more electric vehicles. (UPMatters.com)
• Tesla’s ongoing lawsuit against the state of Michigan over selling vehicles directly to buyers comes as the company unrolls its Model 3. (Detroit News)
PIPELINES: A North Dakota judge accepts a plea agreement from former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, allowing her to avoid jail time for her involvement in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. (Associated Press)
BIOFUELS: A company plans a $120 million expansion at an Ohio ethanol facility. (Toledo Blade)
COAL:
• Environmental groups are asking Indiana regulators to reject plans by Duke Energy for disposing millions of coal ash waste. (Indiana News Service)
• Coal generation will exceed natural gas generation in 2017 and 2018, according to a report from U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Utility Dive)
CLIMATE: Iowa scientists say the state’s summer humidity is increasing due to climate change. (Mason City Globe Gazette)
UTILITIES: Ohio officials are nearing an agreement with AEP over dedicating tens of thousands of acres of land for recreational purposes. (Associated Press)
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CLEAN POWER PLAN: A U.S. appeals court agrees to delay litigation over the Clean Power Plan for an additional 60 days. (E&E News)
COMMENTARY: An MIT researcher says “society will bear greater costs if power companies underinvest in noncarbon technologies than if they overinvest.” (The Conversation)