TECHNOLOGY: With a new battery research hub established at nearby Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago seeks to lead the nation on electric vehicles. (Midwest Energy News)

MICHIGAN: State officials launch a year-long study to determine future energy policy. (Associated Press)

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OIL: South Dakota’s supreme court upholds the approval of an air permit for the proposed Hyperion oil sands refinery, and an audit shows water use in North Dakota’s oil patch relies largely on an “honor system” and calls for better oversight. (Associated Press, Fargo Forum)

EPA: A federal court denies the Obama administration’s request to revisit a decision striking down the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. (The Hill)

COAL: The Wisconsin DNR investigates contaminated water wells near Milwaukee, but says a nearby coal ash dump is only one of several possible sources. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

ALSO: Opponents of an Indiana utility’s plan to spend $500 million upgrading coal plants protest outside a regulatory hearing. (Indianapolis Star)

NATURAL GAS: A study finds fracking wastewater from Pennsylvania could overwhelm Ohio’s disposal facilities, and the GAO calls for better reporting on natural gas pipeline safety. (Akron Beacon-Journal, Associated Press)

CLIMATE: Democrats propose executive actions on climate change, and what will Minnesota winters look like in the future? (The Hill, Minnesota Public Radio)

NUCLEAR: An Iowa utility gets the go-ahead from state regulators to extend its contract with the Duane Arnold nuclear plant for 12 more years. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

BIOFUELS: A struggling Minnesota ethanol plant is bought out by other producers on a stronger financial footing. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

GRID: Duke Renewables launches a 36 MW energy storage project at a wind farm in Texas. (Charlotte Business Journal)

COMMENTARY: Does increasing energy efficiency cause us to use more? (Scientific American)

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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