Ohio manufacturers sign letter opposing energy law ​‘freeze’

OHIO: A group of large Ohio manufacturers, including Honda, Honeywell and Whirlpool, write a letter opposing a bill to freeze the state’s renewable and energy efficiency standards. (Columbus Business First)

ALSO: FirstEnergy’s CEO accuses policymakers of trying to ​“further advance the war on coal” to ​“achieve a social agenda that has little, if anything, to do with maintaining electric service.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

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SOLAR: If Minnesota’s value of solar tariff is optional, will utilities adopt it? A new report suggests they will. And Ameren gets state approval for a new 5.7 MW solar project in Missouri. (Midwest Energy News, St. Louis Business Journal)

OIL: The Minnesota Department of Commerce backs an Enbridge pipeline expansion plan, landowners in North Dakota’s oil patch say state environmental protections are ​“failing miserably,” and farmers worry about continued impacts from rail service disruption. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Fargo Forum, Bismarck Tribune)

ELECTRIC CARS: GM will spend $449 million to upgrade two Detroit-area plants to expand electric vehicle and battery production. (Detroit Free Press)

UTILITIES: The NRDC explains why ​“it doesn’t serve anybody if the utilities are caught in a death spiral,” and utilities disagree on how the EPA should regulate carbon emissions. (Forbes, Climate Central)

CLIMATE: Unilever, Shell and 68 other major corporations call for a ​“rapid and focused response” to climate change, the UN says cars will become the largest driver of global emissions, and a Senate hearing on an EPA nominee turns into yet another debate over climate science. (BusinessGreen, Bloomberg, The Hill)

ENERGIEWENDE: Facing rising energy costs, Germany approves a plan to slow the growth of wind and solar power. (New York Times)

COAL: Two Ohio towns will have to pay for millions in stranded costs related to a canceled coal plant plan. (Hillsdale Daily News)

TRANSPORTATION: A plan to modify the gasoline tax to raise money for roads runs into political opposition in Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

BIOFUELS: A Minnesota bill would delay a 20 percent biodiesel mandate, currently scheduled to kick in next year. (Mankato Free Press)

COMMENTARY: Ohio newspapers ignore the ALEC connection to attacks on the state’s energy laws. (Media Matters)