FRACKING: With thousands of leases signed, fracking is poised to take off in Illinois, and state lawmakers hope to develop a regulatory framework when they meet later this month. (Midwest Energy News)
CLIMATE: Global CO2 concentrations reach a record level, the CIA’s climate center is shut down, and Iowa scientists warn this year’s drought is a sign of things to come. (Climate Central, Greenwire, Reuters)
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WIND: A Republican consultant launches the Red State Wind Alliance, a conservative effort to promote wind energy. (EarthTechling)
OIL: Some environmental groups remain confident President Obama will reject the Keystone XL pipeline. (InsideClimate News)
COAL: Why the White House may soften proposed coal ash regulations. (Forbes)
UTILITIES: American Electric Power has new competition in central Ohio, and We Energies seeks to recover $34 million in legal fees from Wisconsin ratepayers. (Columbus Dispatch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
AGGREGATION: An effort to purchase 100 percent renewable power for Normal, Illinois, may face resistance if it isn’t cost-competitive with other options. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
TRANSPORTATION: Chicago purchases a fleet of electric garbage trucks. (SustainableBusiness.com)
COMMENTARY: Why state renewable energy standards may no longer be enough to drive a rapidly growing industry, and ten reasons a carbon tax isn’t a climate panacea. (NREL, Grist)