SOLAR: President Obama will announce today that solar panels on the White House roof are now generating power. (McClatchy)

EFFICIENCY: After two years of buildup, a unique public-private partnership to facilitate energy efficiency in Michigan now claims $20 million worth of projects in the works. (Midwest Energy News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register for the Midwest Solar Expo today! Join the solar industry in advancing the Midwest solar market on May 16th at the Hilton Minneapolis. Network with strategic players and learn about solar opportunities in your area.***

OHIO: Ohio’s House Speaker voices strong support for a bill to freeze the state’s renewable energy standards; and Sen. Bill Seitz says companies opposing his bill “are acting in their monetary self-interest.” (Columbus Dispatch)

KANSAS: A lawyer admits that a group called the Kansas Senior Consumer Alliance, which opposes the state’s renewable energy mandate, was formed at the request of Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-backed political organization. (Topeka Capital-Journal)

UTILITIES: A decision by Minnesota regulators will preserve a natural gas utility’s rate decoupling mechanism (background story here). (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

COAL: Police arrest protesters outside a Peabody Energy shareholders meeting; meanwhile, the company launches a new marketing campaign to promote coal use. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

ALSO: Duke Energy lost $97 million after writing down the value of its coal plants, and the Illinois Times dives deep on the FutureGen project. (Associated Press, Illinois Times)

FRACKING: State official say at least two safety measures failed in a recent Ohio gas well blowout. (Columbus Dispatch)

OIL: BNSF Railway says new federal emergency orders won’t affect oil shipments. (Associated Press)

WIND: A homeowner sues a Minnesota city over its ban on wind turbine. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

MORE SOLAR: A Wisconsin solar plant will not reopen under its new Chinese ownership. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today ($15/individual) for the 15th Anniversary Conference of Wisconsin Interfaith Power & Light “Climate Stewardship: Sustainability, Eco-Justice and Well-Being” on May 18 in Milwaukee. Keynote, workshops, exhibits and more. Be a sponsor, $100-$1,000.***

SHOWTIME: James Brown (yes, that James Brown) once made a video about blower-door testing. (Energy Vanguard)

COMMENTARY: The bill to freeze Ohio’s energy laws “remains completely unacceptable.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

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Ken Paulman

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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