Iowa utility plans historic $3.6 billion, 2,000-megawatt wind project

WIND: MidAmerican Energy plans a $3.6 billion, 2,000 megawatt wind project in Iowa, which would be the largest economic development project in the state’s history. (The Gazette)

ALSO:
• FirstEnergy unveils a new program that allows residential customers to buy 100 percent wind power at the same price as its standard power. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• A new report says the wind industry could support up to 22,000 jobs in Ohio. (Dayton Daily News)

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CLIMATE: A Canadian evangelical climate researcher confronts the challenges with convincing American conservatives to care about climate change. (Midwest Energy News)

COAL:
• Environmental groups hope Peabody’s bankruptcy will hasten the transition from coal to renewables. (MarketWatch)
• Residents in one western Indiana town are worried about potential job losses following the Peabody bankruptcy. (Tribune Star)
• Financial experts say cheap natural gas and an oversupplied market of inexpensive coal were the primary drivers of Peabody’s bankruptcy — not environmental regulations. (ClimateWire)
• Hundreds of homes in Iowa sit on top of old, abandoned coal mines that are susceptible to creating sinkholes. (KCCI-TV)
• Today is the last day Duke Energy burns coal at a 1950s-era plant in Indiana. (Tribune-Star)

FRACKING: A new study says fracking operations in 2014 released 5.3 billion pounds of methane into the atmosphere. (Grist)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Corporations that are lining up in support of the federal rules and transitioning to clean energy ​“says a lot about its ability to excel in an era of rapid global transformation.” (Forbes)

SOLAR: A pair of solar projects are expected to start construction in Duluth, Minnesota later this year. (Duluth News Tribune)

BIOFUELS:
• The Iowa Senate votes unanimously to extend tax credits for biodiesel and ethanol until 2025. (The Gazette)
• Illinois lawmakers consider restructuring tax incentives for ethanol. (State Journal-Register)

COMMENTARY:
• Wind development in Wisconsin may be gaining steam despite Gov. Scott Walker’s opposition to clean energy development. (CleanTechnica)
• The Midwest is well-suited to lead in wind development. (MLive)
• Exelon’s Illinois nuclear plants should benefit from state subsidies in the same way renewable sources do. (Quad-City Times)