COAL: Developers of the FutureGen plant in Illinois release their route for a proposed CO2 pipeline, and the Sierra Club files a lawsuit claiming 1,400 Clean Air Act violations at four Michigan coal plants. (ClimateWire, Detroit Free Press)

FRAC SAND: A Minnesota town rejects a proposed frac sand processing facility, dealing a serious setback to the growing mining industry. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

***SPONSORED LINK: The best Midwest clean energy startups vie for $250,000 in prizes at the 2013 Clean Energy Challenge April 4 in Chicago.***

FRACKING: The drilling boom in Ohio spurs millions of dollars in investment; and opponents of hydraulic fracturing rally at the Illinois statehouse, saying the drilling practice is “a rolling environmental disaster” in other states. (New York Times, Springfield State Journal-Register)

CLIMATE: Democrats circulate a carbon tax bill, as Republicans dig in deeper to oppose the idea. (The Hill)

OIL: Petroleum coke from tar sands refining is being piled up along the Detroit River, raising pollution concerns; and a court rules a Wisconsin family can pursue trespass claims against Enbridge for pipelines built on their land. (Detroit Free Press, Duluth News Tribune)

KEYSTONE XL: Canada’s opposition leader says the U.S. is being played “for fools” over the Keystone XL pipeline. (The Hill)

NUCLEAR: The new head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission urges regulators and industry executives to better prepare for the unknown, and plants in Michigan and Ohio will get extra inspections this year because of poor safety performance. (New York Times, Toledo Blade)

ETHANOL: The oil industry fights a plan in Illinois to apply tax incentives from 10 percent ethanol blends to 15 percent ethanol blends. (Quad City Times)

WIND: A study finds wind may provide the best hedge against volatile natural gas prices, and Holland, Michigan approves a 20-year agreement to purchase wind power. (Grand Rapids Press)

ELECTRIC CARS: Minnesota auto dealers threaten to sue to prevent Tesla Motors from opening retail stores in the state. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

COMMENTARY: Why a “feel-good” solar project in Michigan is still important for long-term renewable energy development. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)

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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