NOTE TO READERS: Please help support and improve Midwest Energy News by taking this short, 10-question survey. (More information about the survey here).
FRACKING: Conservation experts say fracking can add to the dangers faced by Ohio’s rare species, but state efforts to identify and protect important habitats have been dramatically scaled back. (Midwest Energy News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Midwest Energy Policy Conference 2014 — Get the early-bird discount now for the Midwest Energy Policy Conference on Sep. 30-Oct. 1 in St. Louis!***
MORE FRACKING: Shale production in Ohio continues to increase, and a pair of controversial anti-fracking billboards will come down today. (Columbus Dispatch, Associated Press)
CLIMATE: Atmospheric CO2 levels are growing at the fastest rate since 1984, a National Audubon Society study finds climate change is the biggest threat facing birds, and cities prepare for climate change without discussing “the issue that cannot be named.” (BBC, Politico, Associated Press)
PIPELINES: A proposed pipeline would carry North Dakota oil to Oklahoma via Wyoming and Colorado, and records show Iowa has had more than 100 pipeline spills since 2004. (Denver Business Journal, Des Moines Register)
COAL: An Indiana appeals court rules state regulators wrongly approved $61 million in ratepayer charges to cover costs for a coal gasification plant. (Associated Press)
WIND: Fundraising for a South Dakota community wind project has topped $1 million. (Associated Press)
TRANSPORTATION: A South Dakota senator’s bill would give more authority to federal rail regulators, the EPA looks to reduce emissions in the airline industry, and changing transportation habits continue to eat into gasoline tax revenue. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader, The Hill, Chicago Tribune)
ALSO: Bill Ford warns of potential problems with multiple fuel sources for automobiles: “We can withstand one tear-up of our infrastructure; we can’t tear it up multiple times to hop from one fuel to another.” (Detroit Free Press)
FRAC SAND: A Wisconsin sand mine will pay $60,000 for violating a pollution permit. (La Cross Tribune)
PROPANE: Propane dealers and customers rush to prevent a repeat of last winter’s shortages. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
***SPONSORED LINK: On Oct.29, experts will converge on Madison, Wisconsin to discuss the energy, water and food challenges created by growing cities. Hosted by the Wisconsin Energy Institute. Register before Oct. 1 and save 20%.***
ANALYSIS: Can carbon capture be part of the climate solution? (Yale E360)
COMMENTARY: How a carbon tax could bring clarity to energy markets, and how wind and efficiency helped Iowa get ahead on EPA carbon rules. (Bloomberg, Des Moines Register)