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OHIO: Despite appeals from business and consumer groups, Gov. John Kasich still plans to sign a bill freezing the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

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PETCOKE: A company storing petroleum coke along Chicago’s Calumet River plans to consolidate its operations into one enclosed pile. (Associated Press)

CLIMATE: Ohio coal executive Bob Murray threatens to sue the EPA, saying the agency is “not telling the truth about global warming.” (ThinkProgress)

ALSO: Utilities’ measured reaction to carbon rules shows their political clout, and a poll finds Americans are willing to pay more to mitigate climate change. (E&E Daily, Bloomberg)

UTILITIES: Consumer advocates say a Kansas utility’s plan to allow pre-payment for electricity is a bad deal for ratepayers, and Kansas officials seek assurance that expanding the Southwest Power Pool to include three utilities in the Dakotas won’t impact ratepayers. (EnergyWire, Topeka Capital-Journal)

FRACKING: A law firm’s annual report predicts a “manufacturing renaissance” from shale gas. (Columbus Business First)

NATURAL GAS: Consol Energy wants people to start thinking of it as a natural gas company rather than a coal company. (Reuters)

RENEWABLES: Warren Buffett says he plans to double his investment in renewable energy. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

SOLAR: A Minnesota convent is planning to build a 4-acre solar farm. (KTOE)

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BIOENERGY: Iowa farmers promote miscanthus — a tall grass related to related to sugar cane — as an energy crop. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

COMMENTARY: Why carbon rules aren’t the biggest threat to utilities, and “a mistake is sitting on Gov. John Kasich’s desk.” (The Energy Collective, Cleveland Plain Dealer)