TRANSMISSION: Michigan lawmakers push a plan to improve the electrical connection between the Upper and Lower peninsulas. (Midwest Energy News)
EFFICIENCY: Minneapolis and Chicago are again among the top U.S. cities for energy efficiency, according to a new report; other Midwest cities, such as St. Louis, remain below average. (Midwest Energy News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
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OIL: North Dakota’s new oil tax law could threaten a revenue-sharing agreement with the Three Affiliated Tribes. (Associated Press)
PIPELINES:
• Iowa landowners rally at the state capitol to support tougher restrictions on eminent domain. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Congressional Republicans want to turn over approval of natural gas pipelines to the Interior Department. (The Hill)
NATURAL GAS: Illinois regulators say a utility has mismanaged a program to replace natural gas pipelines beneath Chicago streets. (Chicago Tribune)
WIND: A Wisconsin brewery enters an agreement to purchase 100 percent of its power from wind. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
ETHANOL:
• Ethanol backers launch an initiative focusing on the public health benefits of the fuel. (Greenwire)
• A proposal to expand ethanol use in Chicago is still alive after a sweep of other pending legislation. (Chicago Tribune)
SOLAR: A series of workshops will help Wisconsin farmers learn more about solar power. (Wisconsin Ag Connection)
NUCLEAR: An Illinois nuclear plant is back online after a scheduled refueling outage. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
GRID: An Ohio utility unveils its new squirrel-proof substation. (Transmission & Distribution World)
TECHNOLOGY: Can waste heat be effectively converted into electricity? (Greentech Media)
COMMENTARY: How new technology will greatly accelerate the spread of wind energy. (NRDC Switchboard)