SOLAR: After years of oversupply driving down prices, the solar industry now faces a shortage of panels. (Bloomberg)

CLIMATE: Owners of coal and natural gas plants tell Illinois regulators to look elsewhere for opportunities to cut carbon emissions, and Ameren Missouri says it will add 1,200 MW of natural gas capacity to meet EPA targets. (Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

***SPONSORED LINK: Support Solar in Illinois – Purchase a raffle ticket to win a Tesla Model S and Bosch Home Charger from the Illinois Solar Energy Association! Only 2,000 tickets will be sold.***

EFFICIENCY: Four years after PACE financing was approved by Missouri legislators, the first projects are getting underway, and Ohio regulators begin working on new rules to disclose utility efficiency costs to ratepayers. (Midwest Energy News, Columbus Business First)

POLITICS: While still reluctant to speak publicly about it, many Republicans in Congress privately acknowledge climate science. (Bloomberg BNA)

FRACKING: A Michigan landfill accepts radioactive fracking waste rejected by other states, a drilling company takes another shot at striking oil in Ohio, and a federal study finds earthquakes linked to drilling are weaker than natural quakes of the same magnitude. (Detroit Free Press, Youngstown Vindicator, Associated Press)

OIL: Native American activists protest a proposed Minnesota pipeline by riding the route on horseback, and rail is still the dominant means for shipping North Dakota oil despite hundreds of miles of new pipeline. (Minnesota Public Radio, Minneapolis Star Tribune)

KEYSTONE XL: Neil Young and Willie Nelson plan a concert in rural Nebraska to protest the Keystone XL pipeline. (Omaha World-Herald)

WIND: A new study finds courts are broadly rejecting health claims by wind farm opponents; and despite a boom-and-bust cycle, Siemens still sees long-term potential at its Kansas manufacturing facility. (Renew Economy, Topeka Capital-Journal)

COAL: Delays at the FutureGen project in Illinois highlight the challenges of “clean coal.” (Seattle Times)

TRANSMISSION: A new transmission line connects markets in Minnesota and North Dakota. (UPI)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Illinois Renewable Energy Association will host the 13th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair on August 23 and 24 at the Ogle County Fairgrounds, Oregon, Illinois.***

TRANSPORTATION: Ohio transit agencies test buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. (Government Technology)

COMMENTARY: Why utilities should ease their grip on distributed generation. (Greentech Media)

Avatar photo

Ken Paulman

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.