SOLAR: State and utility officials question a Minnesota judge’s finding in favor of a major solar project. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
ALSO: An Iowa Supreme Court case pitting a solar installer against a utility may have broad implications for how solar energy is sold. (Des Moines Register)
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PIPELINES: Federal data show most pipeline leaks are discovered by eyewitnesses rather than high-tech monitoring equipment, a construction accident on an Enbridge oil pipeline drains an Indiana town’s water tower, and Enbridge is winning the oil sands export race with completion of the Flanagan South pipeline. (Wall Street Journal, Times of Northwest Indiana, Bloomberg)
OIL: A survey in North Dakota finds support for the oil boom, while still strong, is lower than in previous years; the state’s governor says new safety standards for rail cars can’t wait until next year; and residents of a North Dakota town raise concerns about a proposed crude oil loading facility. (Forum News Service, Reuters, Bismarck Tribune)
FRACKING: Ohio officials prepare new rules for wastewater pits, and a bill to standardize royalty statements takes a back seat to an argument over climate change in the state legislature. (Youngstown Vindicator, Columbus Business First)
NUCLEAR: An Ohio plant is leaking radioactive material, and an Indiana Republican withdraws a bill that would have provided incentives for new nuclear plants. (Columbus Dispatch, Indianapolis Star)
WIND: A Kansas study finds wind farms can pose a danger to small aircraft if they fly too close, and a new report explains why not all wind developments are controversial. (Kansas City Star, Michigan State University Extension)
BIOFUELS: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says cutting the renewable fuel standard would be “a big win for Big Oil,” and an Ohio project attempts to solve supply-chain issues for cellulosic biofuel by taking production directly to the field. (Des Moines Register, Greenwire)
OHIO: A look back at the tenure of outgoing PUCO chair Todd Snitchler, and some of the people seeking to replace him. (RTO Insider, Columbus Dispatch)
TRANSPORTATION: Cleveland and St. Paul announce plans to greatly expand their networks of dedicated bikeways. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
COMMENTARY: Why distributed renewables alone won’t solve our energy problems. (Breakthrough Institute)