KEYSTONE XL:
• The White House says it won’t bow to TransCanada’s request to suspend the review process for the project, looking to make a decision before the end of Obama’s presidency. (New York Times)
• However, the “surprise request” from TransCanada continues to put pressure on the administration. (Greenwire)
• Nebraska remains at the center of the debate as opponents have successfully stalled the project for years by challenging it in court. (Associated Press)
• TransCanada’s request won’t affect South Dakota’s permit review. (Associated Press)
TECHNOLOGY: A new research laboratory in Michigan aims to provide the infrastructure for companies to prototype new mobility and grid energy storage ideas while maintaining their intellectual property. (Midwest Energy News)
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COAL:
• Wisconsin joins 23 other states in a new lawsuit challenging restrictions on the construction of new coal plants. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Advocates in Illinois warn of a municipal utility’s coal-ash ponds leaking into groundwater and drinking water supplies. (Springfield State Journal-Register)
NUCLEAR:
• Retiring more nuclear plants will make emission-reduction targets even more difficult. (The Conversation)
• A company announces it will speed up the process to decommission a nuclear plant in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: An obscure, nonpartisan group of attorneys that typically cleans up existing laws has been thrust into the spotlight as it streamlines environmental rules. (E&E Daily)
OIL AND GAS:
• The Sierra Club is threatening to sue four oil companies, alleging their wastewater disposal techniques have caused hundreds of earthquakes in Oklahoma. (EnergyWire)
• According to one analysis, only 1 percent of Bakken oil patch development breaks even at current prices. (Forbes)
FRACKING:
• An Ohio town rejects an anti-fracking ballot measure for a fifth time. (Youngstown Vindicator)
• The federal government is reconsidering opening portions of a 240,000-acre national forest in Ohio to fracking. (Columbus Dispatch)
POLITICS: Republican lawmakers tout the benefits of transitioning to more solar generation at the Conservative Clean Energy Summit. (YouTube)
VOLKSWAGEN SCANDAL: Company officials deny the latest round of allegations that more vehicles than previously thought had emissions-cheating software. (ClimateWire)
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TRANSPORTATION: After years of debate, the Michigan legislature narrowly passes a road funding bill that raises taxes on gasoline and increases registration fees. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• That it took a judge to overrule We Energies and Wisconsin regulators on extra fees for solar customers “is a disappointment because it shows the lack of vision for the future” by the utility. (Racine Journal Times)
• The Michigan League of Conservation Voters says the state attorney general’s joining the Clean Power Plan lawsuit is “embarrassing.” (Detroit News)