FRACKING: A bill to regulate fracking in Illinois is again ready to move forward after lawmakers resolve a dispute over a union requirement. (Chicago Tribune)

ALSO: Ohio officials consider a proposal that would allow radioactive drilling waste to be disposed in landfills. (Akron Beacon Journal)

EFFICIENCY: A new report finds Wisconsin’s efficiency program is back on track, delivering $2.89 in benefits for every dollar spent; and an Ohio small-business group becomes a national model for promoting energy conservation. (Midwest Energy News, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

SOLAR: Minnesota lawmakers reconcile competing energy bills and agree to a 1.5 percent solar energy standard. (Minnesota Public Radio)

OIL: Contradicting conventional wisdom that pipelines are safer than transporting oil by rail, the International Energy Agency finds pipelines spilled three time more oil than trains over comparable distances from 2004-2012. (Bloomberg)

FRAC SAND: Minnesota lawmakers reach a compromise on frac sand regulation, by requiring tougher permit requirements for operations near trout streams. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

CLIMATE: How the insurance industry navigates the politics surrounding climate change. (New York Times)

NUCLEAR: The origins of two goldfish found in an Ohio nuclear plant remains a mystery. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

WIND: New technology increases the viability of a proposed Michigan wind farm site. (Muskegon Chronicle)

TECHNOLOGY: An Ohio State University team aims to build the world’s fastest electric car. (EarthTechling)

COMMENTARY: The myths and realities of the oil boom, and why whether or not we’ll run out of oil is the wrong question. (Greentech Media, The Atlantic)

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.