COAL: A new report says decades of “beneficial reuse” of coal ash could be contaminating water in southeast Wisconsin and possibly elsewhere in the state. (Midwest Energy News)
ALSO: Local officials approve an expanded coal waste site in Illinois. (Springfield State Journal-Register)
KEYSTONE XL: By a single vote, the U.S. Senate rejects a bill to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and a leader of the Rosebud Sioux in South Dakota calls the pipeline “an act of war against our people.” (New York Times, Sioux Falls Argus Leader)
SOLAR: A solar group threatens to sue over Wisconsin’s decision on fixed charges, and a Minnesota lawmaker is recognized by the solar industry. (Express Milwaukee, Hibbing Daily Tribune)
WIND: Prospects dim for extension of the production tax credit as Republicans prepare to take control of the Senate. (Bloomberg)
EPA: States face challenges collaborating on EPA carbon rules, and House Republicans vote to add politicians to the EPA’s science advisory board. (ClimateWire, The Hill)
OIL: Shale drillers plan to increase production despite lower oil prices, Chicago is likely unprepared for an oil train disaster, and a frozen valve leads to a leak of hundreds of barrels of brine in North Dakota. (Bloomberg, WLS-TV, Associated Press)
MICHIGAN: How will the energy transition impact Michigan’s manufacturing sector? (Model D Media)
GRID: Indiana’s utility consumer office opposes Duke Energy’s plan for $1.9 billion in grid upgrades. (Associated Press)
TRANSPORTATION: Milwaukee officials alter a proposed streetcar route to avoid conflicts with utility infrastructure. (Milwaukee Business Journal)
COMMENTARY: Why we can’t call coal “clean,” and why a carbon tax may be the best way to advance clean energy. (Al Jazeera America, New York Times)