POLLUTION: Governors from eight Northeast states will petition the EPA to crack down on pollution blowing into their region from the Midwest. (New York Times)

POLICY: As a red-state Republican who also acknowledges global warming, South Dakota’s top regulator seeks “safe islands” to move forward on energy policy. (Midwest Energy News)

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OIL: A proposed oil pipeline may conflict with plans to mine copper and nickel in northern Minnesota, and landowners in South Dakota are left with a rezoning puzzle as a refinery plan is abandoned. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Sioux Falls Argus Leader)

NATURAL GAS: Three companies push to convert Bakken oil field operations from diesel to natural gas. (Bismarck Tribune)

FRACKING: Ohio Republicans unveil a new drilling tax proposal. (Toledo Blade)

WILDLIFE: Ohio energy companies fight a proposal to grant endangered status to the northern long-eared bat, a designation that could slow coal, transmission and fracking development. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

HYDROPOWER: Researchers say in some instances carbon emissions from building new hydropower can offset the clean-energy benefits. (ClimateWire)

WIND: Midwest wind energy is increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels, and operators of an Illinois wind farm say storm damage is to blame for two blades breaking off a turbine last month. (Breaking Energy, Associated Press)

PIPELINES: Minnesota faces a propane supply problem as a major pipeline plans to shut down. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

SUSTAINABILITY: Solar-powered trash compactors and garbage trucks that run on natural gas may be the next steps in a Michigan town’s plan to reduce the city’s environmental impact. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

ELECTRIC CARS: Tesla installs EV “Superchargers” in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Rapid City Journal)

COMMENTARY: Why letting the wind production tax credit expire will not “level the playing field.” (Grist)

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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.

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