FERC: President Obama is expected to nominate Ron Binz, former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (The Hill)

FARM BILL: Unless Congress passes another law or extends the current one, several federal renewable energy programs will end on September 30. (Midwest Energy News)

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CLIMATE: Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says nuclear power and carbon capture will be key to meeting President Obama’s emission reduction goals, and fracking critics are unhappy with Obama’s climate speech. (New York Times, Associated Press)

ALSO: The Washington Post’s Fact Checker debunks Ohio Rep. John Boehner’s comment that his home state gets 95 percent of its electricity from coal.

OIL: Anticipating tougher environmental rules, oil sands companies are spending $1 billion a year to cut their carbon footprints; and Exxon’s secrecy over its investigation of an Arkansas pipeline spill raises questions about Keystone XL plans. (New York Times, EnergyWire)

WISCONSIN: A bill in the state legislature would make it harder to file stray voltage lawsuits against utilities. (LaCrosse Tribune)

WIND: A Chinese firm is indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing software from an American wind company. (New York Times)

TRANSPORTATION: A Chicago nonprofit unveils its solar powered charging stations for electric cars, Duluth gets its first charging station, and Chicago’s long-delayed bike sharing program debuts today. (Chicago Tribune, Duluth News Tribune)

HYDROPOWER: Cedar Rapids officials are still fighting for more than $13 million in disaster relief funds for a flood-damaged hydro plant that’s been idle for five years. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

OHIO: Ohio’s unregulated utilities rank last out of seven states in a customer satisfaction survey. (Columbus Dispatch)

COMMENTARY: The significance of President Obama’s cryptic Keystone XL comments, and why Exelon is still wrong to blame wind power for its nuclear issues. (Grist, Climate Progress)

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Ken Paulman

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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