CLIMATE: In several Midwest cities, federal researchers seek to determine how extreme heat is disproportionately affecting some urban communities as temperatures trend higher compared to nearby rural areas. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: “No region is really spared from climate change,” researchers say in the latest global climate change assessment released today, finding a need for swift governmental action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. (Inside Climate News)

OHIO: Consumer advocates call for reforms to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s appointment process after former chairman Sam Randazzo failed to disclose financial ties to FirstEnergy before going on to regulate the company. (Cleveland.com)

PIPELINES:
• A Minnesota law enforcement agency blocks the release of documents related to Line 3 pipeline policing under the state’s public records laws. (The Intercept)
• Activists in Green Bay, Wisconsin, call for the shutdown of Enbridge’s Line 3 and Line 5 pipelines. (WBAY)
• The Keystone XL pipeline developer announces plans to decommission the project after a federal court warned the pipe could still be removed from the ground. (E&E News, subscription)

COAL:
• U.S. electric cooperatives’ ongoing reliance on coal-fired power is causing tension within the organizations as investor-owned utilities more broadly transition to renewables. (Wall Street Journal)
• We Energies will eliminate 150 positions and save about $35 million a year after retiring its Oak Creek coal facility. (Milwaukee Business Journal)

GRID: A federal appeals court rules that federal energy regulators acted arbitrarily when they determined that wholesale electricity prices at an Illinois auction were reasonable despite being 40 times higher than those in neighboring states. (Reuters)

CLEAN ENERGY: Minnesota lawmakers debate the role of clean car standards and solar development as the state continues clean energy investments. (KEYC)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Nebraska Public Power District continues work to install electric vehicle charging stations across the state as the Biden administration sets new zero-emission vehicle targets. (KFXL)

BIOFUELS:
• A new Iowa biomass refinery plans to convert cornstalks and wheat straw into millions of gallons of ethanol while developers pledge to be one of the first carbon-negative refineries in the U.S. (KIMT)
• A Minnesota biofuels plant reopens after a 15-month shutdown but will now focus on aviation fuel and eliminate ethanol production. (Star Tribune)

COMMENTARY:
• Lawmakers’ failure to pass a sweeping Illinois clean energy bill because of disputes over future coal plant closures “would be a strategic error that would result in a significant increase in emissions and a large loss of jobs,” an editorial board says. (Rockford Register Star)
• A Wisconsin county board chairperson says investing in clean transportation is a key way for communities to address the climate crisis. (La Crosse Tribune)