RAIL: Two train derailments took place in Wisconsin over the weekend, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol and crude oil. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: While battles over distributed solar have garnered more energy headlines in Wisconsin, advocates say the state is also lagging behind other states in energy efficiency. (Midwest Energy News)

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CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• A former state environmental official says North Dakota’s challenge to stop the rules won’t work because courts have already given the federal government authority to regulate carbon emissions. (Bismarck Tribune)
A new ad campaign by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticizes a small group of attorneys general who are challenging the rules, including those in Michigan and Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

COAL:
• Peabody Energy agrees to make more robust disclosures to investors of the financial risks the company faces from government regulations related to climate change. (New York Times)
Patriot Coal’s bankruptcy proceedings again treaten the retiree benefits for about 2,000 people in Illinois. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Residents and businesses in west Michigan have mixed emotions over a major coal plant shuttering there. (MLive)
Watch video of a former Michigan coal plant being imploded. (MLive)

NUCLEAR:
• Federal regulators plan to update inspection and assessment methods for aging nuclear power plants. (EnergyWire)
While the White House pledges to give more attention to nuclear plants to reduce carbon emissions, the industry is still waiting for action. (E&E Daily)
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation ask the Canadian government to reject plans for a proposed waste storage site near Lake Huron. (Associated Press)

OIL AND GAS: Despite low prices, some analysts say now is a good time to be investing in some of the niche areas of the oil industry. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

KEYSTONE XL: Obama’s rejection of the project may lift political pressure off of Canada’s new liberal leader Justin Trudeau. (New York Times)

BUSINESS: Wal-Mart is making good on its renewable energy pledges. (Christian Science Monitor)

EMISSIONS: U.S. and Canadian regulators are significantly expanding vehicle emissions testing from diesel cars out of concerns that cheating could be prevalent across the industry. (New York Times) 

PIPELINES:
• Roughly 1,000 barrels of oil spills from an Oklahoma pipeline. (Associated Press)
Pipeline safety is a primary topic of discussion at a water policy conference in Ohio. (Toledo Blade)
Enbridge is mapping a potential route for a new pipeline to carry more crude oil through Wisconsin. (Wisconsin State Journal)

WIND: A southeastern Minnesota couple says a wind project near their home is disrupting their lives. (Associated Press)

COAL ASH: Illinois regulators are asking the state environmental agency to respond to questions about how it would implement new federal rules on coal-ash disposal ponds. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: In Minnesota, Xcel Energy has “obstructed the roll-out of community solar in a deliberate slow walk.” (Midwest Energy News)

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Andy Balaskovitz

Andy compiles the Midwest Energy News digest and was a journalism fellow for Midwest Energy News from 2014-2020. He is managing editor of MiBiz in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was formerly a reporter and editor at City Pulse, Lansing’s alternative newsweekly.

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