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)