Illinois AG considers legal action over delayed coal mine rules

SOLAR:
• Clean energy advocates now find themselves on the same side as a Wisconsin utility as it seeks state permission for a community solar project. (Midwest Energy News)
• South Dakota lawmakers approve a bill to change the state’s tax structure to make solar installations more economical to develop. (Rapid City Journal)

COAL:
• Illinois’ attorney general is considering legal action against a state agency for not enforcing rules that were brokered two years ago to strengthen coal mine oversight. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• The fall of Peabody Energy — the world’s largest private coal producer — would be highly symbolic for the industry. (SNL / Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)

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WIND:
• Residents in Michigan’s Thumb region remain vocally opposed to ongoing wind turbine development. (Huron Daily Tribune)
• Investigators have still not determined what caused a wind turbine to collapse in Michigan last month. (Detroit Free Press)

PIPELINES:
• It is unclear why a Texas company wants permission to move crude oil through 98-year-old pipelines beneath a river in eastern Michigan even though the company says it would not use it for that purpose. (The Voice)
• Construction will begin early next year on a pipeline that will bring natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region through southeast Michigan. (Crain’s Detroit Business)

NUCLEAR: Fundamental disagreements over whether nuclear power offers a safe path to carbon reduction clouds the fuel source’s future. (Climate Central)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Michigan advocates hope to see action on energy policy this year after seeing it get put on the legislative back-burner. (MiBiz)
• Galena, Illinois has spent the past five years transitioning to cleaner energy and becoming more energy efficient. (Telegraph Herald)

OIL BY RAIL: Minnesota first responders learn how to prepare for oil train derailments. (KSTP-TV)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Conservatives vow to place ​“another Justice Scalia” on the U.S. Supreme Court to help block President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. (E&E Daily)
• Despite efforts to block the rules and save the declining coal industry, utilities are already transitioning to cleaner energy. (Climate Central)

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VOLKSWAGEN SCANDAL: The automaker says it may take months rather than weeks to reach an agreement with U.S. officials on an emissions fix. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:
• Twenty years after a major oil train accident in Wisconsin, rail safety remains a concern as oil traffic increases. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• An effort is underway to let college students help design state plans to reduce carbon emissions. (New York Times)
• Clarifying community solar offerings in Minnesota will allow the industry to grow. (Mankato Free Press)
• Allowing for growth in Wisconsin’s solar market ​“is the right strategy for the future.” (LaCrosse Tribune)