FRAC SAND: A sand mine near a popular Illinois state park will proceed, and the mining industry lures county and local regulators in Wisconsin with high-paying jobs. (Midwest Energy News, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
MICHIGAN: Utility-backed opponents of Proposal 3, which would establish a constitutional amendment expanding Michigan’s renewable energy standard, outspend backers of the measure by nearly 2-to-1. (MLive.com)
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POLITICS: Climate skeptics, seeing growing support for a carbon tax among conservatives, vow to make the issue “toxic” for Republican politicians. (ClimateWire)
WIND: Iowa’s wind industry braces for production tax credit fallout, and more allegations are raised in an ownership fight over a Minnesota wind farm. (IowaWatch, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
OIL: A North Dakota archaeological site is targeted for drilling, and there’s very little the state can do about it; and advocates want $10 million in the state’s oil revenue set aside for clean energy. (Fargo Forum, Dickinson Press)
ALSO: The race for a seat on North Dakota’s Public Service Commission turns into one of the state’s most heated campaigns. (Fargo Forum)
SOLAR: DTE Energy is installing 1,800 solar panels on a University of Michigan building, and an Ohio solar firm misses its state loan payment. (AnnArbor.com, Toledo Blade)
GREEN ECONOMY: An audit finds a federal green jobs program is falling far short of its placement goals. (The Hill)
COMMENTARY: Is “Frankenstorm” a climate-change monster? And solar is ready for prime-time, but the United States is not. (NPR, Bloomberg)