OHIO: Why Ohio’s efficiency law “freeze” could increase costs for ratepayers, particularly with new EPA carbon rules on the horizon. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO: More than 50 Ohio manufacturers urge Gov. John Kasich to veto SB 310, the bill that would put a two-year hold on renewable energy and efficiency standards. (Columbus Business First)

***SPONSORED LINK: What will the next 35 years of efficiency innovation look like? Join the Center for Energy and Environment on June 24 for our 35th Anniversary Technology Forum, featuring TED-style talks and a keynote by ACEEE Executive Director Steve Nadel.***

PETCOKE: The U.S. EPA says dust from Chicago’s petroleum coke piles violates the Clean Air Act. (Chicago Tribune)

POLLUTION: A study finds substantial declines in mercury levels in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, which researchers credit to tougher coal emissions controls. (Forum News Service)

COAL: The president of the Illinois Coal Association vows to fight EPA carbon rules: “I’m a global warming denier. I’ll be upfront about that.” (Illinois Radio Network)

OIL: Michigan officials say a 2012 pipeline spill in the Kalamazoo River won’t lead to long-term health problems, Kansas oil production increased in 2013, and researchers discover oil-eating microbes at the site of a 1979 Minnesota pipeline spill. (MLive, Wichita Business Journal, Minnesota Public Radio)

POLITICS: Energy companies are betting on a Republican Senate takeover, and 41 GOP senators urge President Obama to drop proposed EPA carbon rules. (Bloomberg, The Hill)

FRACKING: Ohio officials have nearly finished installing seismic monitors at wastewater injection sites. (Akron Beacon Journal)

CLIMATE: An insurance company drops its lawsuit over climate change preparations in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)

EPA: How EPA carbon rules will impact Wisconsin. (Madison Capital Times)

ETHANOL: A court rejects a challenge to a Michigan ethanol plant, but the project may not be built anyway. (Great Lakes Echo)

WIND: In the latest turn in a long-running dispute, a judge orders a Minnesota homeowner to remove his lakefront wind turbine. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

SOLAR: An Illinois school district is installing a $3.2 million solar array. (Chicago Daily Herald)

PROPANE: A new propane terminal is proposed in Wisconsin in response to shortages last winter. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

COMMENTARY: Iowa is “already ahead of the game” on meeting EPA carbon rules. (Des Moines Register)

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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