CLIMATE: Negotiators in Paris agree on a blueprint deal aimed at reducing global carbon emissions. (CNN)

ALSO:
• Missouri’s dependence on coal and the prospect of more intense heat waves and rainfall make the Paris climate negotiations relevant for the region. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• In Wisconsin, state officials are at odds with public sentiment over climate change, while businesses are also split over curbing emissions in the face of new regulations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Roughly 1,000 mayors from around the world travel to Paris to discuss local climate solutions. (NPR)

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UTILITIES: Opponents begin mobilizing against a plan in Omaha, Nebraska to raise fixed charges. (Midwest Energy News)

OHIO: The debate playing out over a utility “bailout” plan in Ohio comes down to competing interests in energy security versus capitalism. (Toledo Blade)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Kansas regulators begin work on a “general investigation” into how the state can comply with the federal rules. (Lawrence Journal-World)

TRANSPORTATION: A new survey shows a majority of Iowa residents support expanding passenger rail options. (The Gazette)

GRID: A proposed data center in West Michigan could pose reliability challenges as utilities warn of a capacity shortfall statewide. (MiBiz)

POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA’s landmark air standards for mercury pollution appear likely to withstand court challenges by industry and states. (Greenwire)

SOLAR:
• DTE Energy is installing thousands of panels in southeast Michigan as part of its renewable energy program. (The News-Herald)
• A 15-megawatt project is on hold in Missouri as utility officials say the Clean Power Plan played a role in the new timeline. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• The size and quantity of utility-scale solar projects in Michigan continues to grow. (Lansing City Pulse)
• One Michigan company is looking to change the distribution and storage model of solar panels. (MiBiz)

OIL AND GAS:
• While the U.S. economy is doing well overall, the number of oil-patch jobs continues to decline. (Associated Press)
• Iowa regulators will decide in the coming months the extent to which an oil company could use eminent domain to build the Dakota Access pipeline. (The Gazette)

OIL BY RAIL: In North Dakota, state officials are training with federal inspectors to boost the state’s rail safety program. (Bismarck Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: Local officials in Missouri vote unanimously to join the state’s Clean Energy District, which will allow utility customers to participate in Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

COMMENTARY:
• “Perhaps it is time for ethanol to stand on its own,” but renewable fuels can’t fight for “survival in the free market” if one fuel source is favored over another. (Quad-City Times)
• The federal government should invest in coal-dependent states like Indiana as they transition to cleaner energy sources. (Northwest Indiana Times)