Critics say Michigan nuclear plant needs extensive upgrades

NUCLEAR: Advocates say they have unearthed new information showing that the Palisades nuclear plant on Lake Michigan needs extensive upgrades to be able to operate safely. (SNL)

SOLAR:
• A group-buying program meant to reduce the cost of installing solar for businesses and homeowners is spreading to another Midwest city. (Midwest Energy News)
• Indiana Michigan Power is now operating its first utility-scale solar project and company officials say more are on the way. (Inside Indiana Business, WSJM)

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OIL AND GAS: Michigan lawmakers call on state officials to reject a request from Marathon Oil to release more pollutants from its refinery near Detroit. (MLive)

VOLKSWAGEN SCANDAL: The Obama administration files a federal lawsuit in Detroit accusing the German automaker of violating pollution laws by using emissions-cheating software in its engines. (Washington Post)

COAL:
• An Illinois community looks to diversify its energy mix amid ongoing concerns about the city’s relationship with the Prairie State Energy Campus. (Kane County Chronicle)
• Peabody Energy agrees to pay $75 million into a health care fund for coal-mining retirees affected by a recent bankruptcy proceeding, though many see it as a temporary fix. (St. Louis Business Journal)
• Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray continues his fight against the federal government as the ​“last of the old-time coal barons.” (Bloomberg)

PIPELINES:
• South Dakota regulators again approve a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline through the state as the developer maintains the project could be revived under a new president. (Associated Press)
• North Dakota regulators approve plans for an oil pipeline that will cross beneath a lake. (Bismarck Tribune)

EFFICIENCY:
• Commonwealth Edison partners with a St. Louis-based startup on a pilot program that helps customers more easily monitor their energy use. (Utility Dive)
• Duluth and Fargo are in the running for a $5 million prize as part of a national energy-saving competition. (Minnesota Public Radio)

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TRANSMISSION: A recent federal ruling saying transmission companies were getting excessive revenue from ratepayers is unlikely to affect new projects through Wisconsin. (LaCrosse Tribune)

COMMENTARY: The Three Affiliated Tribes should approve a new oil revenue-sharing agreement with North Dakota and ​“see how it works.” (Bismarck Tribune)