If you’re just getting back from vacation, here are the top stories from last week to help you get caught up:

  • An Illinois coal plant is shutting down
  • A report projects Ohio’s energy efficiency rules will save residents billions of dollars
  • An Illinois town is in the running for both of the state’s major “clean” coal projects
  • MidAmerican is planning a major expansion of Iowa’s wind farms, increasing the state’s wind output by 17 percent
  • Texas farmers say coal plant emissions are killing their pecan trees
  • Massachusetts announced an ambitious new plan to cut carbon emissions

    • Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.