NUCLEAR: State regulators will investigate cost overruns at a Minnesota nuclear plant, and have slashed a proposed Xcel Energy rate increase to cover them. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

POLICY: A coalition wants to make Lincoln, Nebraska the first city in the Midwest with a feed-in tariff, in an effort to get the city utility off coal; and an ALEC-backed bill in Kansas would allow utilities to meet the state’s renewable standard by buying credits from out-of-state companies. (Midwest Energy News, Wichita Eagle)

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OHIO: Why Ohio is a case study for how the U.S. can respond to tougher restrictions on carbon emissions. (ClimateWire)

OIL: How the Pegasus pipeline spill is dividing an Arkansas town, an industry report says the Keystone XL pipeline won’t increase carbon emissions, and Enbridge asks for more time to dredge the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. (InsideClimate News, The Hill)

NATURAL GAS: Steelmakers call for tougher import duties on pipe, saying foreign products are flooding the market at artificially low prices; and another major natural gas processing plant is proposed for Ohio. (Youngstown Vindicator, Akron Beacon-Journal)

MINNEAPOLIS: Xcel Energy agrees to explore new ways to help meet Minneapolis’ clean energy goals, as debate over municipalization continues. (Minnesota Public Radio)

SOLAR: Iowa’s Supreme Court announced earlier this week that it would take up a dispute between a Dubuque solar installer and the utility that serves the city. (KCRG)

WIND: Renewal of federal incentives is helping the wind industry to attract more capital. (Greentech Media)

TRANSPORTATION: A new study finds that in some Midwest states, hybrid cars are better for the climate than fully electric ones. (Climate Central)

CLIMATE: A group of more than 160 businesses and organizations sign on to a letter supporting President Obama’s climate plan. (Des Moines Register)

COMMENTARY: Why distributed renewables alone won’t power the world. (The Energy Collective)

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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