EPA: Critics question the credibility of a report raising reliability issues with the Clean Power Plan, noting that the contractor that produced it has ties to a “clean coal” technology firm. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO: A bill in Minnesota would give lawmakers final say over any carbon reduction plans. (Minnesota Public Radio)

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GREEN ECONOMY: A series of reports finds nearly 30,000 jobs in three Midwest states supported by the wind and solar industries; and renewable energy, though still a small segment of the energy mix, continues to grow faster than fossil fuels. (Midwest Energy News, Washington Post)

COAL: Indiana officials revoke a permit for a controversial proposed coal-to-gas plant; and regulators had issued more than a dozen safety citations to the owner of a West Virginia mine that collapsed on Sunday, killing an Ohio man. (RTV-6, Associated Press)

SOLAR: A Michigan utility is withdrawing plans for a solar array at the Ann Arbor airport, citing opposition from a neighboring township. (MLive)

OIL TRAINS: Four recent derailments show that newer rail cars are failing to prevent fires and explosions, increasing the pressure to reduce volatility of North Dakota crude at the source. Minnesota and Wisconsin lawmakers are also calling for tougher regulations. (Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, La Crosse Tribune)

FRACKING: Legal experts say that despite a recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling, local governments still have options for restricting drilling. (EnergyWire)

NUCLEAR: Regulators grant a 20-year operating license extension to a Missouri nuclear plant. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

UTILITIES: Amid shareholder pressure, a Wisconsin utility agrees to expand renewable energy development. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

POLLUTION: As a Michigan group of governments pushes back against tougher ozone regulations, residents say the state isn’t doing enough to control pollution in general. (MLive, Detroit News)

BIOFUEL: A new Kansas plant begins producing ethanol from crop waste. (Kansas City Public Media)

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CLIMATE: Climate deniers go on the offensive against science historian Naomi Oreskes ahead of the release of a documentary based on her book “Merchants of Doubt.” (ClimateWire)

COMMENTARY: Advocates say the Clean Power Plan will be good for Minnesota’s economy; a Duluth newspaper says not so fast. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Duluth News Tribune)

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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