CLIMATE: President Obama’s proposed budget includes billions for energy and climate priorities, and future federal infrastructure projects will be built on higher ground to account for increased flooding risk. (Greenwire, ClimateWire)

UTILITIES: A new report ranks Minnesota among the leading states for developing new utility business models. (Midwest Energy News)

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NUCLEAR: A judge finds mismanagement by Xcel Energy led to more than $400 million in cost overruns at a Minnesota nuclear plant. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

SOLAR:
• A Missouri co-op will be the first in the state to develop a community solar project. (Midwest Energy News)
• Illinois’ power agency will purchase $30 million in solar credits. (Springfield State Journal-Register)
• Wisconsin advocates discuss solar strategy at an ag conference. (The Country Today)
• Ann Arbor officials approve what will become Michigan’s largest solar array. (MLive)

COAL: At a North Dakota event, coal power producers discuss ways to improve efficiency in order to meet EPA carbon targets, and Minnesota pushes back against a court ruling striking down its restrictions on imported coal power. (Bismarck Tribune, Triple Pundit)

OIL AND GAS:
• Developers cancel plans for a controversial Michigan pipeline. (MLive)
• A refinery strike doesn’t appear to be impacting oil and gas prices. (New York Times)
• Falling prices disrupt oil sands production in Canada. (New York Times)
• Ohio Gov. John Kasich pushes again for increased taxes on drilling. (Columbus Business First)
• Iowa pipeline opponents plan a protest tomorrow. (Des Moines Register)

ETHANOL: An Iowa economist says ethanol markets are to blame for layoffs at John Deere. (Iowa Public Radio)

EFFICIENCY: Ann Arbor’s city council passes a resolution opposing lower incentives for LED streetlights. (MLive)

MICHIGAN: A transformer failure is expected to cause rolling blackouts in the Upper Peninsula over the next few days. (MLive)

ILLINOIS: A dispute over the value of an Illinois power plant could force a nearby school district to shut down. (Carbondale Southern Illinoisan)

COMMENTARY: Seven reasons cheap oil won’t stop renewable energy. (Bloomberg)

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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