Michigan officials seek more information on Straits of Mackinac pipeline

MICHIGAN: Emails released as part of the ongoing Flint water crisis also shed light on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s energy policy and the attorney general’s ​“awkward” pursuit of an injunction against the Clean Power Plan. (Midwest Energy News)

PIPELINES:
• Michigan officials want more information from Enbridge about the safety of the company’s pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac. (Michigan Radio)
• A segment of pipeline in North Dakota is shut down after a leak was discovered spilling gasoline this week. (Associated Press)

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CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Uncertainty clouds the timeline of meeting goals following the U.S. Supreme Court’s stay and states are questioning whether they will be ​“caught flat-footed if they stop planning.” (ClimateWire)
• For Peabody Energy, the Clean Power Plan is a ​“red flag” for potential investors into the company. (EnergyWire)

COAL:
• A Peabody Energy spokesman declares: ​“Coal is going to be around for a long time, and Peabody is going to be around for a long time.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Peabody also tells the Illinois attorney general that it is ​“committed” to restoring the land at three of its coal mines in the state. (Southern Illinoisan)

FRAC SAND: In ​“quite a reversal” from 2014, two Wisconsin frac sand mining companies announce 134 layoffs as declining oil prices take their toll on the industry. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

SOLAR: Xcel Energy announces plans for an up to 3-megawatt community solar project in Wisconsin. (Ashland Daily Press)

RATES:
• A new study shows Wisconsin has the highest electric rates in the Midwest, but electric bills are still below the region’s average. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Customers of a western Minnesota utility will see their rates increase, though state regulators ordered the utility to scale it back within 10 days. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

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FRACKING: Industry attorneys say the negative publicity around ​“frackquake” lawsuits may do more damage to the industry than any legal outcomes. (Forbes)

UTILITIES: The $9.1 billion merger last year that created Wisconsin’s largest utility — WEC Energy Group — also brought a 12 percent pay increase for board members. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)