CLIMATE: Proposed EPA greenhouse gas limits on new power plants will not be as strict as initially proposed, but will still “effectively prohibit the construction of new coal-fired plants,” according to one critic. (Washington Post)

RELATED: An organization representing utilities calls the carbon limits “unrealistic,” and a study says unpredictable natural gas prices pose a risk for utilities making the switch from coal. (The Hill, ClimateWire)

MEANWHILE: The oil and gas industry claims it has spent more than the federal government on carbon-cutting technology. (Houston Chronicle)

EFFICIENCY: Chicago’s city council approves an ordinance requiring large building owners to disclose their energy use, Cree announces a $10 LED bulb that looks and performs like an incandescent, but comes with a 10-year warranty, and a federal efficiency bill could get dragged into the health care debate. (Chicago Tribune, Quartz, The Hill)

WIND: A new study finds at least 67 golden and bald eagles have been killed by wind farms over the past five years. (Associated Press)

ALSO: In a response, the American Wind Energy Association accuses AP of “advocacy journalism” for failing to contextualize that figure by comparing it to much larger numbers of eagle deaths from other man-made causes. (AWEA blog)

OIL: Canadian officials say the North Dakota crude that exploded in a July train derailment in Quebec was mislabeled., and musician Neil Young upsets Canadian officials — and at least one Fort McMurray radio station — after comparing the oil sands to Hiroshima. (Associated Press, The Hill)

POLITICS: A Michigan professor launches a longshot bid to unseat Rep. Fred Upton with a campaign focusing primarily on climate change. (E&E Daily)

SOLAR: The marquee at Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater will be powered by solar panels, and a new report says solar installations grew 15 percent in the second quarter of this year. (MLive, Reuters)

HYDROPOWER: Hydropower is seeing a resurgence, with projects totaling 60,000 megawatts seeking preliminary permits from federal regulators. (Associated Press)

TRANSMISSION: Five North Dakota tribes pass a resolution opposing a transmission line planned across a historic battlefield. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: Fixing the future will be a lot less expensive than we thought. (New York Times)

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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