Wisconsin government at odds with public on climate

CLIMATE: Negotiators in Paris agree on a blueprint deal aimed at reducing global carbon emissions. (CNN)

ALSO:
• Missouri’s dependence on coal and the prospect of more intense heat waves and rainfall make the Paris climate negotiations relevant for the region. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• In Wisconsin, state officials are at odds with public sentiment over climate change, while businesses are also split over curbing emissions in the face of new regulations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Roughly 1,000 mayors from around the world travel to Paris to discuss local climate solutions. (NPR)

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UTILITIES: Opponents begin mobilizing against a plan in Omaha, Nebraska to raise fixed charges. (Midwest Energy News)

OHIO: The debate playing out over a utility ​“bailout” plan in Ohio comes down to competing interests in energy security versus capitalism. (Toledo Blade)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Kansas regulators begin work on a ​“general investigation” into how the state can comply with the federal rules. (Lawrence Journal-World)

TRANSPORTATION: A new survey shows a majority of Iowa residents support expanding passenger rail options. (The Gazette)

GRID: A proposed data center in West Michigan could pose reliability challenges as utilities warn of a capacity shortfall statewide. (MiBiz)

POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA’s landmark air standards for mercury pollution appear likely to withstand court challenges by industry and states. (Greenwire)

SOLAR:
• DTE Energy is installing thousands of panels in southeast Michigan as part of its renewable energy program. (The News-Herald)
• A 15-megawatt project is on hold in Missouri as utility officials say the Clean Power Plan played a role in the new timeline. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• The size and quantity of utility-scale solar projects in Michigan continues to grow. (Lansing City Pulse)
• One Michigan company is looking to change the distribution and storage model of solar panels. (MiBiz)

OIL AND GAS:
• While the U.S. economy is doing well overall, the number of oil-patch jobs continues to decline. (Associated Press)
• Iowa regulators will decide in the coming months the extent to which an oil company could use eminent domain to build the Dakota Access pipeline. (The Gazette)

OIL BY RAIL: In North Dakota, state officials are training with federal inspectors to boost the state’s rail safety program. (Bismarck Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: Local officials in Missouri vote unanimously to join the state’s Clean Energy District, which will allow utility customers to participate in Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

COMMENTARY:
• ​“Perhaps it is time for ethanol to stand on its own,” but renewable fuels can’t fight for ​“survival in the free market” if one fuel source is favored over another. (Quad-City Times)
• The federal government should invest in coal-dependent states like Indiana as they transition to cleaner energy sources. (Northwest Indiana Times)