Ohio becomes first state to roll back renewable standard

OHIO: Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign a two-year ​“freeze” of the state’s renewable energy and efficiency laws, passed by House lawmakers yesterday, making Ohio the first state to substantially roll back renewable energy requirements. (Columbus Dispatch, New York Times)

FRACKING: Illinois lawmakers reject a bill, introduced over the holiday weekend, that would have bypassed the state’s rulemaking process on fracking. (Chicago Tribune)

***SPONSORED LINK: What will the next 35 years of efficiency innovation look like? Join the Center for Energy and Environment on June 24 for our 35th Anniversary Technology Forum, featuring TED-style talks and a keynote by ACEEE Executive Director Steve Nadel.***

EPA: As carbon regulations loom, North Dakota still clings to coal. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO:
• Insiders say President Obama will use executive authority to enact carbon-cutting policies. (New York Times)
• In a visit to St. Paul, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy touts energy efficiency as a means to reach carbon goals. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Industry groups are already fighting carbon rules for existing plants, expected to be released next week. (Politico)
• A report finds Ohio-based American Electric Power has the highest carbon emissions among U.S. utilities. (Forbes)

COAL: A unit of the Prairie State coal plant is shut down after an accident damages cooling equipment, and a Missouri technical college retires its coal-fired steam plant in favor of a geothermal system. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, news release)

COAL ASH: A lawsuit claims a Kentucky utility has been dumping coal ash into the Ohio River on an almost daily basis. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

SOLAR: Ikea says its new solar array atop a suburban Kansas City store will be the largest in the state of Kansas. (Kansas City Star)

UTILITIES: Barclays downgrades its bond rating for utilities in response to the threat from rooftop solar, FirstEnergy says ​“ulterior motives” are driving a challenge to its cold-weather surcharges. (Business Insider, Columbus Business First)

NUCLEAR: Illinois lawmakers advance a resolution supporting nuclear power (background on the bill here). (Associated Press)

BIOENERGY: A new $60 million biodigester in Missouri will convert chicken manure into energy and fertilzer. (Sedalia Democrat)

TRANSMISSION: ATC plans $100 million in power line upgrades in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

COMMENTARY: The U.S. Chamber has a long track record of being wrong about the impact of environmental regulations. (NRDC Switchboard)