MICHIGAN: Will natural gas or renewable energy be the cheaper way to meet EPA carbon targets? Michigan researchers have developed a tool to help answer that question. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO: A leader in Michigan’s tourism industry says wind power is a key part of a “no regrets” energy policy. (MLive)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join venture capitalists, civic leaders, and industry executives on April 14 at the Clean Energy Challenge in Chicago to watch fourteen cleantech startups compete for $1 million in total funding.***

FRACKING:
New regulations governing fracking on federal lands are quickly challenged by the oil and gas industry. (New York Times, The Hill)
• Kansas regulators order limits on wastewater disposal in two counties. (Wichita Business Journal)

OIL TRAINS:
• Why government-ordered rerouting of oil trains is unlikely to happen. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• The rail industry awaits tougher tank car rules. (Bismarck Tribune)

OIL AND GAS:
• North Dakota producers face conflicting orders on flaring. (Bismarck Tribune)
• A newspaper takes a closer look at the state of pipeline safety in Ohio. (Canton Repository)
• The oil boom has some North Dakota graduates returning home. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• How third-party solar leases can complicate home sales. (Los Angeles Times)
• A Minnesota city considers getting involved in the siting of a proposed solar garden. (Red Wing Republican Eagle)
• An Iowa university will host an open house for its new solar array. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)

NUCLEAR:
• Michigan’s Fermi 2 plant shuts down after a water leak is discovered. (Associated Press)
• Michigan lawmakers push the feds to revive the Yucca Mountain waste storage project. (CBS Detroit)

COAL:
• Illinois officials seek more information on a permit application for a proposed coal mine. (Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette)
• An Ohio utility will be laying off 62 workers as it retires coal plants. (Columbus Business First)

KANSAS: Two proposals in the Kansas legislature would increase taxes on the renewable energy industry. (Associated Press)

ETHANOL: Illinois researchers say higher ethanol blends can significantly cut carbon emissions. (Crain’s Cleveland Business)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join the solar industry in Minneapolis on May 13-14 at the Midwest Solar Expo! Expand your network and meet face-to-face with key Midwest solar industry players. Register today!***

MEDIA: A Michigan reporter says he’s “dreaded” writing about the state’s energy policy debate because “the subject is mired in complexity” and “lacks reader appeal.” (MLive)

COMMENTARY:
• Laurence Tribe’s legal analysis of EPA authority “seems suspiciously contingent on which large corporation has hired him.” (Grist)
• Why coal can be cleaner, but never “clean.” (Forbes)

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.