POLITICS: After pledging strong leadership on energy and climate issues, President Obama has been largely silent on the issue in the past few months. (New York Times)
COAL: A federal study finds sludge impoundments at coal mining operations may be vulnerable, and developers of a proposed Indiana coal-to-gas plant say current legislation requiring a tougher regulatory review will kill the project. (Washington Post, Indianapolis Star)
EFFICIENCY: How Ohio became a national leader in energy-efficient schools. (Midwest Energy News)
OIL: Enbridge says all the oil leaked from a Minnesota pumping facility was contained, and the State Department says comments on Keystone XL will be made public after all. (Associated Press, InsideClimate News)
GRID: In a Delaware pilot project, electric cars will earn $1,800 a year helping to stabilize the grid, the PJM Interconnection plans to balance load through demand response rather than building new generation, and a new report highlights which utilities are leading and lagging on smart grid adoption. (New York Times, Greentech Media)
SOLAR: A provision in a Minnesota energy transportation bill will benefit local solar manufacturers. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
FRACKING: The shale boom means big business for an Ohio manufacturer, critics are doubtful that North Dakota legislation will significantly curb natural gas flaring, and an industry lobbyist Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s proposed drilling tax would “close the window” on further development of the Utica Shale. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Associated Press, Columbus Business First)
NUCLEAR: Senators propose a plan to overhaul the way nuclear waste is handled, and neighbors of a Wisconsin nuclear plant bristle at a planned 60-year timeline for decommissioning. (The Hill, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
CLIMATE: A Senate panel’s report recommends replacing energy incentives with a carbon tax. (The Hill)
MINNESOTA: An explosion at a biomass plant shakes a Twin Cities suburb, but no injuries are reported. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
TRANSPORTATION: Chicago prepares to launch its bike-sharing program this summer. (Chicago Tribune)
COMMENTARY: What Fisker’s failure tells us about federal clean energy programs. (Washington Post)