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CLIMATE: Drafts of an upcoming U.N. report say scientists are now 95 percent certain that human-caused emissions are causing climate change. (Reuters)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Inspiring Efficiency Awards recognize Midwest leaders who deliver groundbreaking advancements in energy efficiency. Apply or provide a nomination today.***

TRANSMISSION: A utility arborist group wants power companies to move away from one-size-cut-it-all tree trimming in favor of encouraging vegetation that won’t conflict with transmission lines in the first place. (Midwest Energy News)

OIL: TransCanada acknowledges that oil sands crude can sink when it spills into water, contradicting claims by Enbridge. (EnergyWire)

ALSO:
Keystone XL opponents in Nebraska plan to build a barn in the pipeline’s path. (Associated Press)
Enbridge seeks to minimize disruption for neighbors as it expands a Michigan pipeline. (Mlive)
Minnesota landowners are caught off guard by a new Enbridge pipeline route. (Duluth News Tribune)
Wichita officials consider a plan to drill beneath a downtown apartment complex. (Wichita Eagle)

FRAC SAND: A Wisconsin county official is under investigation after being accused of abusing his office to advance his own sand-mining interests. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

UTILITIES: The Sierra Club sues a Missouri utility, saying it’s failed to uphold its end of an agreement allowing a new power plant; Indiana customers will be refunded $32 million after utilities fall short on efficiency spending; and digital meters enable experiments with lowering off-peak rates. (Kansas City Star, Indianapolis Business Journal, Associated Press)

WIND: GE researches a quieter wind turbine blade that can also improve production. (CleanTechnica)

TRANSPORTATION: Fargo officials consider a plan to convert city vehicles to natural gas, trucking companies find ways to save fuel, and a St. Louis suburb adopts a green vehicle policy. (Minnesota Public Radio, Cedar Rapids Gazette, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

COMMENTARY: Can climate science be communicated in a way that conservatives will be receptive to? (Grist)

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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