WIND: The Wisconsin Supreme Court rules in favor of state regulators, affirming that a housing impact report is not needed before the state PSC submits siting rules to the legislature. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
COAL: Farmers and activists continue the fight against a proposed coal mine in central Illinois. (Midwest Energy News)
***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.***
OIL AND GAS:
• Water use in oil and gas wells in eastern Ohio is among the highest in the nation, a new USGS study finds. (Columbus Business First)
• On average, fracking uses more than 28 times the amount of water than it did 15 years ago, the study concludes. (Climate Central)
BIOMASS: The White House rejects Congressional efforts to consider burning trees for energy as carbon neutral. (Energy Collective)
CLIMATE CHANGE:
• Blocking cap and trade will make combating climate change a much more expensive endeavor. (New York Times)
• In lead-up to Paris negotiations, China, Brazil and the U.S. announce major plans to curb emissions by 2030. (Washington Post)
SUPREME COURT:
• Monday’s ruling on mercury and other toxic emissions leaves uncertainty over challenges to the Clean Power Plan. (Greenwire)
• While the ruling emboldens Clean Power Plan critics, compliance is already in motion. (EnergyWire)
MISSOURI: A state judge rules that an effort to restrict the city of St. Louis from offering tax incentives to “unsustainable” energy producers is unconstitutional. (St. Louis Business Journal)
FRAC SAND: A report this month shows that while frac sand demand is down in 2015, its use per well in shale plays is increasing. (San Antonio Business Journal)
EARTHQUAKES:
• The Oklahoma Supreme Court rules that a woman can sue oil companies for injuries she suffered after a 2011 earthquake, opening the door for potentially more lawsuits. (Reuters)
• A scientist says there is “zero chance” that a 3.3 magnitude earthquake in Michigan Tuesday was caused by fracking. (MLive)
BUSINESS: As part of a new trend, more than half of large U.S. businesses generate their own power onsite, a study finds. (Utility Dive)
***SPONSORED LINK: Energy Transition Lab’s Energy Storage Summit, July 15 in Minneapolis, will bring together industry, academia and public leaders to develop a shared vision for energy storage in Minnesota. Registration is free and open to the public but space is limited.***
RENEWABLES: Ordinary citizens are making Bill McKibben optimistic about the country’s renewable energy future. (MinnPost)
COMMENTARY: Monday’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for Michigan ratepayers. (Midland Daily News)