PIPELINE: At ‘ground zero’ of climate fight, thousands of activists march through St. Paul in opposition to Enbridge’s planned $2.6 billion Sandpiper oil pipeline. (Minneapolis StarTribune)
ALSO: While they endorsed the project, Minnesota regulators still left open the possibility for an alternative route. (Minneapolis StarTribune)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Illinois Renewable Energy Conference, July 16 in Normal, Illinois, will feature plenary sessions of interest to all areas of renewable energy, plus specific breakout sessions for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and energy efficiency.***
WIND
• Advocates in Ohio continue to press lawmakers on the benefits of wind power despite a series of legislative setbacks. (Midwest Energy News)
• A proposed 136-turbine wind project in Illinois is met with local opposition. (Pontiac Daily Leader)
SOLAR
• As an overlooked source of generation, the solar potential of public buildings is examined in a new study. (Midwest Energy News)
• A Wisconsin cooperative is looking to build up to 25 MW of utility-scale solar projects across its service territory. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
EFFICIENCY
• Kansas City joins 13 other U.S. cities in requiring owners of large buildings to monitor and report energy consumption. (Kansas City Star)
• Cincinnati becomes an early adopter of incentivizing sustainable design through the Living Building Challenge. (Cincinnati Business Courier)
TRANSPORTATION
• Owners of hybrids and electric vehicles would be hit with higher fees under Michigan road-funding proposal. (Associated Press)
• Major highway expansion projects are challenged across the country, with implications for energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. (ClimateWire)
COAL ASH: Advocates are urging the state of Ohio to reject plans by FirstEnergy to divert coal ash from location to another. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
ETHANOL: Iowa legislators expand renewable-fuel grants for ethanol infrastructure. (Biofuels Digest)
NATURAL GAS: A bridge reconstruction project in Michigan leads to a broken gas line, causing a large fire and injuring two. (Associated Press)
COAL: Miners in the Ohio Valley protest tax incentives for new natural-gas plants. (Wheeling News-Register)
WISCONSIN: Lawmakers are reviewing a facilities policy after an elementary school is billed $15 for using electricity at the Capitol. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: Xcel Energy shuts down a unit at its Prairie Island plant over the weekend, saying it was a malfunction and not a threat to the public. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY
• To allow for renewable development, policymakers should focus on an efficient build-out and use of U.S. natural-gas infrastructure. (Forbes)
• A proposed wind project in South Dakota is an indicator that the state can be a clean-energy leader. (Rapid City Journal)
• An executive at Aveda argues in support of a stronger clean-energy standard in Minnesota. (MinnPost)