OIL: The USGS says North Dakota’s oil reserves are twice as large as previously thought. (The Hill)
ALSO: Detroit residents ask why they received no evacuation order following an explosion and fire at a nearby refinery, when residents of a suburb farther away from the facility did. (Detroit News)
BIOMASS: A new report says the Midwest could significantly boost the amount of heat it gets from wood-based biomass. (Midwest Energy News)
FRACKING: Illinois Republicans push for action on fracking legislation, and drillers say Ohio is “a pretty friendly state to operate in.” (Associated Press, Columbus Dispatch)
COAL: Developers of a proposed Indiana coal-to-gas plant suspend all work on the project, and North Dakota’s coal industry credits pollution controls at power plants for the state’s high ranking on air quality. (Evansville Courier & Press, Bismarck Tribune)
CLIMATE: An EIA report finds current renewable energy policies are not enough to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, and federal budget cuts hit regional climate research centers. (Washington Post, InsideClimate News)
WIND: A Minnesota wind farm plans to become the first in the country to use off-peak energy to produce hydrogen. (West Central Tribune)
FRAC SAND: Minnesota lawmakers reject a measure that would have prohibited frac sand operations within a mile of trout streams. (Minnesota Public Radio)
BIOFUELS: An Indiana court rejects a state plan to relax pollution rules for ethanol refineries, and a biofuel pioneer leaves the business to focus on natural gas. (Indianapolis Star, Bloomberg)
POLITICS: How the GOP became the party of denial on global warming. (San Francisco Chronicle)
EFFICIENCY: In what the franchise owner calls an “experiment,” a Cleveland-area McDonald’s is equipped with a wide range of energy-saving technology, including a 341-panel solar array and a geothermal heating and cooling system. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
COMMENTARY: How the politicization of Fisker Automotive stifles innovation. (OnEarth Magazine)