Illinois communities could be tied to coal for decades

COAL: A proposed contract extension could lock three Chicago suburbs and 29 downstate municipalities into relying on a major coal plant for decades to come. (Chicago Tribune)

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ALSO: A Minnesota administrative law judge finds that Xcel Energy’s negligence contributed to a catastrophic coal plant equipment failure in 2011, and that customers should be compensated up to $34 million. (Star Tribune)

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UTILITIES: Michigan regulators fine Consumers Energy $1 million after investigating complaints of malfunctioning smart meters and violating state rules on estimated billing practices. (Michigan Advance)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Illinois lawmakers pass a bill that would enable local governments to apply for loans through the state’s climate bank to build clean energy infrastructure. (WREX)
• South Dakota residents grow frustrated by the state’s hesitation to apply for nearly $69 million in federal funding for an energy efficiency rebate program. (South Dakota Searchlight)

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SOLAR: A solar project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shows how community solar can be deployed to help make electricity costs more affordable for low-income residents. (Inside Climate News)

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EMISSIONS: Missouri’s attorney general sues five states, including Minnesota, over claims that their climate policies create emissions mandates for other states. (FOX 2)

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RENEWABLES: Environmental groups accuse MidAmerican Energy of misleading customers by saying it supplied 100% renewable energy to customers while operating six coal plants. (E&E News, subscription)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Experts say the absence of a price on carbon makes it difficult to quantify the economic benefits of carbon capture and storage for corn growers. (North Dakota Monitor)

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GRID: City, state and federal officials celebrate the opening of a microgrid in a southside Chicago neighborhood that could be replicated elsewhere in the state. (Sun-Times)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Students at a Minnesota school district press administrators to buy an electric bus. (Star Tribune)

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OIL & GAS:

• An Illinois energy company claims Enbridge conspired with ExxonMobil to form a joint venture and block rivals from moving crude oil from Canada and North Dakota to refineries in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)
• More than 5,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in Kansas continue to pose safety challenges for landowners. (KCTV)

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NUCLEAR: Figuring out how to build cheaper nuclear plants will be key for the U.S. to take advantage of the technology and transition from fossil fuels, experts say. (The Atlantic)

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CLIMATE: School districts across the northern U.S. that lack air conditioning confront the academic and health risks associated with rising temperatures. (Washington Post, subscription)

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COMMENTARY: Wisconsin should celebrate, and accelerate, the state’s progress on retiring the last of its coal plants, an editorial board writes. (Wisconsin State Journal)

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