OBAMA: The president’s energy agenda for his second term is likely to be much like the first, except with a stronger emphasis on climate change. (Associated Press)
KEYSTONE XL: A new report says the potential emissions connected to Keystone XL are underestimated, another projects $580 million in economic impact for Nebraska. (Washington Post)
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TRANSPORTATION: While electric vehicles grab headlines, the auto industry is also working to dramatically improve the efficiency of gasoline engines; Ford introduces a new plug-in hybrid to compete with the Chevy Volt, and ACEEE announces its ranking of the greenest cars of 2012. (Midwest Energy News, Detroit Free Press, Green Car Reports)
NUCLEAR: A proposed expansion of the Fermi nuclear plant in Michigan passes a key regulatory hurdle. (Detroit Free Press)
CLIMATE: A report released earlier this week finds that soot is a far stronger agent of climate change than previously thought, second only to carbon dioxide. (New York Times)
COAL: Federal regulators issue new safety rules intended to prevent coal mining disasters like the Upper Big Branch explosion that killed 29 workers in 2010. (Associated Press)
FRAC SAND: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says the state DNR plans to have a specialist on staff to help frac sand mining companies work through the state regulatory process. (Voice of Wisconsin Rapids)
OIL: Enbridge says its pipeline system has been underutilized recently as more oil is shipped out of North Dakota by rail. (Bloomberg)
TRANSMISSION: American Transmission plans a new 25-mile power line in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
BIOFUELS: The cellulosic biofuel industry expects to see “a hockey stick curve in terms of production over the next few years.” (Des Moines Register)
COMMENTARY: Why solar panels make better use of the sun’s energy than biofuel production, and a scorecard for energy efficiency shows why we need to invest more. (CleanTechnica, Grist)