EARTHQUAKES: Records show Oklahoma scientists suspected a link between oil and gas activity and earthquakes as early as 2007, but kept quiet to avoid upsetting the industry. (EnergyWire)

SOLAR: Xcel Energy says it will launch a community solar project in Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join Lidija Sekaric, Michael Noble, Cory Honeyman and countless others in Minneapolis on May 13-14 for two days packed with networking, exhibits, training and drinks at the Midwest Solar Expo. Register today and help advance Midwest solar.***

COAL:
• An Ohio utility chairman says soon-to-retire coal plants have been the “backbone of the American dream.” (SNL)
• The Department of Energy says carbon-capture programs have saved 10 million tons of CO2. (Utility Dive)

MICHIGAN: Gov. Rick Snyder’s top energy adviser talks about the administration’s vision for the state’s energy future. (SNL)

CLIMATE:
• A new study links recent weather extremes to climate change. (New York Times)
• Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who has called climate science a “Chicken Little attempt to raise taxes,” now “continues to keep an open mind,” according to a spokesperson. (Muncie Star Press)
• A Wisconsin brewery signs a declaration to help fight climate change. (Milwaukee Business Journal)

OIL AND GAS:
• The president of an Ohio natural gas utility says a recent pipeline explosion is “never likely to be repeated.” (Columbus Business First)
• Federal regulators say axle inspections could have prevented a 2013 oil train derailment and explosion in North Dakota. (Reuters)
• Oil production increased in Kansas last year despite falling prices. (Topeka Capital-Journal)

KEYSTONE XL: South Dakota regulators delay a decision on an expired permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. (The Hill)

EFFICIENCY:
• Commercial building owners in Kansas City push back against a proposal to require energy use disclosure. (Kansas City Star)
• An Iowa utility projects its LED streetlight program will save $23,000 a month in energy costs. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

TRANSMISSION: A Wisconsin town challenges the approval of a new transmission line. (La Crosse Tribune)

BIOENERGY: Construction begins on a $30 million biodigester outside Sioux City. (Sioux City Journal)

***SPONSORED LINK: What is the media’s role in addressing environmental challenges? Join Ensia magazine for a conversation with journalist Marc Gunther May 20 at the University of Minnesota. Free and open to the public.***

DATA: Thirteen charts that show the state of the U.S. energy industry. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY: Is there a better way to use natural gas to fight climate change? (The Energy Collective)

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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