COAL: A new report singles out the 50 worst U.S. power plants for CO2 emissions, ranking Ohio second only behind Texas for emissions and also singling out power plants in Minnesota. (Christian Science Monitor, Toledo Blade, St. Paul Pioneer Press)
ALSO: We Energies may shut down a power plant on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Ohio environmentalists want the EPA to investigate water permits granted to coal companies. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Columbus Dispatch)
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PIPELINES: The nation’s top pipeline regulator says his oversight process is “kind of dying” and has “very few tools to work with” to enforce safety rules. (InsideClimate News)
EFFICIENCY: A Minnesota start-up company says its compact, energy-efficient design could be a new model for urban farming. (Midwest Energy News)
PRAIRIE STATE: The mayor of an Ohio town whose city council is seeking an investigation of its contract with the Prairie State Energy Campus actually signed the resolution before “vetoing” it with correction fluid. (Columbus Dispatch)
CLIMATE: Critics say an upcoming United Nations climate report will be too conservative in its projections. (New York Times)
FRACKING: North Dakota’s congressional delegation seeks an exemption for the state from federal fracking rules. (The Hill)
WIND: Consumers Energy says it will begin construction this year on a $255 million Michigan wind farm, and Michigan regulators approve a 20 MW wind purchase by DTE Energy. (Associated Press, CBS Detroit)
SOLAR: How solar panels are becoming the new granite countertops for homebuilders on the West Coast. (Bloomberg)
EPA: Sarah Bittleman, the EPA’s chief agriculture adviser, seeks to build bridges between the agency and the agricultural community. (Greenwire)
COMMENTARY: Progress on efficiency offers a glimmer of hope for energy policy in Congress. (Greentech Media)