CLEAN POWER PLAN: A panel of federal judges appeared skeptical about arguments from states challenging EPA carbon rules. (Greenwire)

ALSO:
• A study finds that most states have begun planning to comply with the Clean Power Plan, even those that are challenging it. (Midwest Energy News)
• A think tank with connections to the Koch political network is distributing misleading information about the costs of EPA carbon rules. (InsideClimate News)

***SPONSORED LINK: EPA’s section 111(D) is driving generation and transmission in MISO. Infocast’s MISO Market Summit 2015 will bring policy-makers together with utility, IPP and DR executives to explore the opportunities to solve reliability and power market problems. ***

CLIMATE: A survey finds a large majority of Americans support a carbon tax. (ClimateWire)

WIND: Big companies are competing with utilities in the wind market. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR:
• A St. Paul college will offset all of its electricity use with solar power. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• A Minnesota great-grandmother, who’s turning 90 next month, explains why she’s installing solar panels. (WCCO)

COAL: Murray Energy finalizes a deal to partner with Foresight Energy. (Charleston State Journal)

OIL AND GAS:
• Ohio regulators did not issue any new permits for drilling in the first week of April. (Columbus Business First)
• The oil downturn means “man camps” are starting to shut down. (Bloomberg)

NUCLEAR: The Energy Department will award more than $5 million for students to study nuclear energy. (The Hill)

UTILITIES: A Michigan utility says it has spent more than $1 billion with in-state suppliers over the past four years. (MLive)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: An Iowa town’s waste-to-energy plan shifts from ethanol to biogas. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

***SPONSORED LINK: What is the media’s role in addressing environmental challenges? Join Ensia magazine for a conversation with journalist Marc Gunther May 20 at the University of Minnesota. Free and open to the public.***

COMMENTARY:
• “Though electric choice poses challenges, it’s important in principle that consumers can purchase service outside of a monopoly.” (Detroit News)
• North Dakota needs to take responsibility for oil safety. (Bismarck Tribune)
• An Xcel Energy executive says it’s moving toward a cleaner portfolio “by gradually and responsibly dialing back the output from our coal plants.” (MinnPost)

CORRECTION: An item in Wednesday’s digest incorrectly stated that Michigan lawmakers approved language for a ballot measure to ban fracking. The language was approved by the Board of State Canvassers.