Illinois wind project could be first to decommission, upgrade turbines

WIND:
• An Illinois wind farm could be the first in the nation to decommission its entire fleet of turbines and replace them with upgraded models. (Dixon Telegraph)
• A county official in eastern Wisconsin delays discussion at a board meeting on alleged health impacts from wind turbines amid concerns about tax revenue. (Manitowoc Herald Times)

COAL:
• Two Democratic lawmakers in Ohio support FirstEnergy’s latest ​“bailout” proposal out of concerns for losing local jobs, though advocates say the proposal does not assure the jobs will stay. (Midwest Energy News)
• Indiana is among three states that could get millions of dollars for coal mine cleanup as Peabody Energy moves through bankruptcy; a U.S. court also approves setting aside up to $16.2 million in bonuses for Peabody executives. (Reuters)

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CLIMATE: Fuel economy has become a key piece of the U.S.’s international carbon-cutting commitments. (ClimateWire)

SOLAR: If statewide solar incentive policies aren’t structured well, experts say they can overwhelm a state’s budget. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES:
• North Dakota regulators approve siting permits for two oil pipelines and a natural gas pipeline. (Associated Press)
• The leader of the Sioux tribe has contacted the White House and met with North Dakota’s senators seeking help to block the Dakota Access pipeline. (Associated Press)
• Tribal members in Nebraska take supplies to pipeline protesters in North Dakota. (Lincoln Journal Star)

GRID:
• Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder wants grid operator MISO to study the potential for better transmission opportunities between Ontario and Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. (Associated Press)
• A FirstEnergy subsidiary continues work on a $115 million plan to upgrade transmission infrastructure around Toledo, Ohio. (T&D World)

REGULATION: An Ohio lawmaker is trying again to regulate ​“submetering” companies that mark up the cost for electricity in certain apartments and condominiums. (Columbus Dispatch)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: A local energy firm may take over the contract for operating a waste-to-energy facility in downtown Minneapolis. (Minneapolis/​St. Paul Business Journal)

UTILITIES: Michigan’s largest municipal utility grapples with developing a new long-term strategic plan amid major changes in the energy sector. (Lansing State Journal)

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CYBERSECURITY: The University of Illinois receives a $19 million federal grant to study threats to the nation’s power grid and come up with responses. (CBS Chicago)

COMMENTARY:
• After finding that South Dakota improperly spent more than $20 million in federal stimulus funds, ​“It’s even harder to understand why there is so little apparent interest in promoting energy efficiency.” (Rapid City Journal)
• An Indiana utility is using stall tactics to slow renewable energy development and continues to ​“gouge” ratepayers by spending money on extending the life of a coal plant. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)