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OIL: An analysis by the Associated Press finds that 750 “oil field incidents,” including 300 pipeline spills, have occurred in North Dakota in less than two years without public notification.
ALSO: New technology will help reduce natural gas flaring in the Bakken, and the Canadian government won’t require in-situ oil sands processing to undergo federal environmental review. (Bismarck Tribune, Canadian Press)
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SOLAR: As Minnesota develops a formula for determining the value of solar, observers praise the state’s process for its openness and transparency; the architect of the policy explains further in a Q&A with Midwest Energy News.
NUCLEAR: Nuclear waste sits at power plants, with Illinois holding the largest share, as debate on a permanent storage site remains stalled; and controversy continues to build over a proposed Canadian waste site on Lake Huron. (Bloomberg, Detroit Free Press)
FRACKING: A geology expert says an Ohio town’s proposed fracking ban is largely symbolic because the area isn’t suitable for drilling anyway. (Toledo Blade)
FRAC SAND: After facing intense opposition in a public hearing last week, the author of Wisconsin legislation to weaken local authority over frac sand mining says the bill needs more work and likely won’t come up for a vote this year. (Associated Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
WIND: Developers of a Minnesota wind farm withdraw the project after they’re unable to get enough landowners to sign on. (Rochester Post-Bulletin)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: A Wisconsin tribe opens a 2 MW biodigester that will produce electricity from food waste. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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UTILITIES: How new regulatory models could help utilities thrive. (Greentech Media)
COMMENTARY: Grid-scale energy storage is coming, and probably sooner than you think. (SmartPlanet)