NOTE TO READERS: Today is Give to the Max Day — please consider supporting strong regional energy journalism with a contribution to Midwest Energy News. Every dollar counts!
WIND: Wisconsin legislators next week will hold a hearing on a bill that would give neighbors wide latitude to sue wind farms, a measure that critics say would effectively shut down wind energy in the state. (Midwest Energy News)
ALSO: Facebook says its new Iowa data center will run entirely on wind power, North Dakota regulators approve a $350 million wind farm, and Nebraska is on track to triple its wind capacity by 2015 although a key transmission line to export that energy will be delayed. (Des Moines Register, Fargo Forum, Lincoln Journal Star, Omaha World-Herald)
***SPONSORED LINK: Total Energy USA reminds you to register in advance to save up to $200 on registration fees. Don’t miss out one of the top five energy events in the country.***
ETHANOL: In its ongoing series on ethanol, the Associated Press looks at the slow development of cellulosic biofuels, and Iowa congressmen are “angered and frustrated” at the prospect of a lower ethanol mandate. (Associated Press, Cedar Rapids Gazette)
OHIO: An Ohio Senate panel will hold its final hearing today on SB 58, which would weaken the state’s renewable energy and efficiency laws. (Public News Service) [EDITOR’S NOTE: The hearing was on Wednesday, Nov. 13.]
UTILITIES: Consumer groups raise questions as an Indiana regulator takes a job representing utilities at MISO. (Indianapolis Star)
COAL: Wisconsin regulators will hold a hearing today on a utility’s plan to convert a Milwaukee coal plant to natural gas. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
EPA: The EPA criticizes a proposal in Congress to limit the agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from power plants. (The Hill)
OIL: Why gasoline prices are dropping, and the White House partly credits improved efficiency for a decline in imports of foreign oil. (Washington Post, Detroit Free Press)
SOLAR: A Missouri utility agrees to pay $92 million in solar rebates, and will also seek permission to build its own large-scale solar project. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
***SPONSORED LINK: Clean Energy Trust seeks the Midwest’s best researchers, entrepreneurs and students with innovative ideas. Apply now for the $500,000 2014 Clean Energy Challenge. Applications due: Jan 8. Final pitch in Chicago: April 3. ***
FRACKING: Newly-passed fracking bans in some Colorado towns may not hold up to court challenges. (Denver Business Journal)
COMMENTARY: The Omaha World-Herald makes its case for continued investment in ethanol.