CLIMATE: NOAA revises its May 9 carbon dioxide reading, and says we haven’t hit 400 ppm after all, climate skeptics seize upon papers projecting a lower temperature rise, activists on both sides of the climate debate misuse research about impacts, and the clock ticks slowly on carbon rules for existing power plants. (Los Angeles Times, New York Times, InsideClimate News)
WIND: Wind farms get a pass for deaths of protected birds while the fossil fuel industry faces prosecution, a new data project will provide a more accurate picture of wildlife interactions with wind farms, and MidAmerican’s major expansion may push it ahead of Xcel as the country’s top wind energy producer. (Associated Press, Treehugger, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
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UTILITIES: As wholesale prices remain low but retail rates climb, Michigan and Indiana take another look at deregulating their electricity markets. (Midwest Energy News)
COAL: AES Corp plans to shut down several coal-fired units in Ohio and Indiana, Illinois officials investigate new pollution complaints at a coal mine site, and a new book commemorates Ohio’s coal mining history. (Reuters, Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, Weirton Daily Times)
NUCLEAR: A crack is found in a cooling water tank at the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, which remains shut down after leaking radioactive water into Lake Michigan. (MLive.com)
TRANSPORTATION: A new report finds Americans are driving less, led by Millennials, who are less likely to drive than previous generations. (New York Times)
FRACKING: Hundreds of new pipelines are planned for eastern Ohio. (Columbus Dispatch)
FRAC SAND: Activists in an Iowa county gather 1,350 signatures calling for a two-year moratorium on frac sand mining. (Decorah Journal)
NATURAL GAS: A proposed new power plant gets a warm reception at a public hearing in an Ohio town. (Toledo Blade)
ILLINOIS: Bloomington becomes the latest city to opt for 100 percent renewable energy in its municipal aggregation plan. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
COMMENTARY: Should Congress focus on taking small bites on energy policy? (National Journal)