WIND: The recent listing of a bat species as threatened will likely impact some wind farms, but the details have yet to be worked out. (Midwest Energy News)

UTILITIES: Federal regulators approve Wisconsin Energy’s proposed takeover of Integrys Energy Group. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join venture capitalists, civic leaders, and industry executives on April 14 at the Clean Energy Challenge in Chicago to watch fourteen cleantech startups compete for $1 million in total funding.***

FERC: An investigation finds Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in many cases have close ties to industries they regulate, including applying for jobs at companies impacted by the agency’s work. (Greenwire)

CLIMATE: Wisconsin’s newest utility regulator downplays the contribution of man-made pollution to climate change. (Wisconsin Radio Network)

OHIO:
• EPA carbon rules become a key issue in Ohio’s U.S. Senate campaign. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Gov. John Kasich appoints Andre Porter to be the new chair of the state’s Public Utilities Commission. (Columbus Dispatch)

SOLAR:
• A report says utilities, specifically in the Northeast, may lose up to half their customers to distributed generation. (Bloomberg)
• Plans to redevelop a former Army ammunition dump near Minneapolis include a 40-acre solar array. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• An Iowa workshop will help farmers navigate incentives for solar power. (Luther College News)
• The Chicago Infrastructure Trust seeks proposals for solar projects on city property. (Crain’s Chicago Business)

COAL: Murray Energy modifies its deal to acquire Foresight Energy. (St. Louis Business Journal)

NATURAL GAS: Developers announce they have secured financing for a proposed new $899 million power plant in Ohio. (Akron Beacon Journal)

OIL: Officials in a North Dakota county approve a Swiss developer’s plan for a $500 million retail and housing project just outside the oil patch hub of Williston. (Reuters)

ILLINOIS: A Chicago-area elementary school becomes the stage for a state energy policy discussion. (Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join the solar industry in Minneapolis on May 13-14 at the Midwest Solar Expo! Expand your network and meet face-to-face with key Midwest solar industry players. Register today!***

ELECTRIC CARS: A study finds electric cars may become affordable for average buyers faster than we think. (MIT Technology Review)

COMMENTARY: Climate change deniers are in retreat. (Washington Post)

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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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