KEYSTONE XL: A dispute over the proposed Keystone XL route will be heard in Nebraska’s Supreme Court today; meanwhile, TransCanada will have to reapply for permits in South Dakota, possibly reopening the debate in that state. (Bloomberg, Sioux Falls Argus Leader)

WIND: A poll finds the vast majority of Midwesterners do not believe in “wind turbine syndrome,” with Iowans least likely to buy into health claims over wind farms. (Midwest Energy News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Support Solar in Illinois – Purchase a raffle ticket to win a Tesla Model S and Bosch Home Charger from the Illinois Solar Energy Association! Only 2,000 tickets will be sold.***

OIL: A judge rules “gross negligence” by BP is to blame for the 2010 Gulf oil spill; the company could face $18 billion in penalties. (Los Angeles Times)

COAL: Workers at an Ohio landfill sue American Electric Power, alleging that six have died from exposure to chemicals from coal waste. (Charleston State Journal)

ALSO: How pollution rules are strengthening the market for Illinois coal. (Bloomberg)

CLIMATE: The White House is developing a competition to highlight cities’ climate change efforts. (The Hill)

FRACKING: The director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the state’s new fines for drilling violations are in line with other states; environmentalists, who are backing off on calls for a moratorium for now, say they’re still not an adequate deterrent. (Carbondale Southern Illinoisan, InsideClimate News)

RAIL: Minnesota hires more inspectors to deal with increasing oil shipments, industry reps sound the alarm over rail delays at a conference in Fargo, as coal shippers say they’re still struggling to catch up. (Associated Press, Omaha World-Herald, SNL)

POWER PLANTS: Debate resumes over a proposed power plant project as an Illinois town reopens its city hall, and work begins on a $600 million natural gas plant in Indiana. (CBS Chicago, Indiana Public Media)

SOLAR: An Illinois co-op announces a new community solar project, and a Michigan couple strives to go off the grid. (Freeport Journal Standard, MLive)

POLITICS: The general who gained fame for taking over Hurricane Katrina relief efforts says polluting industries are “hijacking our democracy.” (Toledo Blade)

COMMENTARY: “There’s clearly a solar revolution underway.” (The Equation)

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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