ELECTION: Voters reject fracking bans in Youngstown and Bowling Green, Ohio; a community bill of rights measure that includes a fracking ban will likely pass in Oberlin. (Youngstown Vindicator, Toledo Blade, Oberlin News Tribune)

ALSO: Boulder, Colorado voters reject a measure backed by Xcel Energy that would have jeopardized efforts to form a municipal utility. (Boulder Daily Camera)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for the Midwest’s largest energy efficiency event, the Midwest Energy Solutions Conference, taking place January 14-16 in Chicago. Use Code MWEN25off for $25 off just for Midwest Energy News readers.***

NUCLEAR: Environmental groups respond to a letter from climate scientists urging support for nuclear power, and more on how natural gas is changing the economics for nuclear energy in the Midwest. (The Hill, Toledo Blade)

FARM BILL: The wind, solar and biofuel industries join together to push Congress to preserve funding for farm-based renewable energy projects. (E&E Daily)

TRANSMISSION: FirstEnergy announces plans to spend more than $3 billion upgrading transmission lines in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

OIL: Enbridge seeks permission from North Dakota regulators to build its proposed Sandpiper pipeline, and reaches an agreement with local officials in Michigan on a plan to dredge the Kalamazoo River for oil from a 2010 pipeline spill. (Bismarck Tribune, Kalamazoo Gazette)

TRANSPORTATION: A pair of Ohio legislators plan to introduce a bill creating tax credits for electric and natural gas vehicles. (Columbus Business First)

FRAC SAND: InsideClimate News explores the controversy over state vs. local regulation of frac sand mining in Wisconsin.

***SPONSORED LINK: Total Energy USA reminds you to register in advance to save up to $200 on registration fees. Don’t miss out one of the top five energy events in the country.***

BIOFUELS: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad travels to the White House to urge support for the renewable fuel mandate. (Des Moines Register)

COMMENTARY: Five steps to get America the transmission it needs. (Smart Grid News)

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.