FRACKING: The natural gas boom means lower prices for consumers, but also big losses for some early investors; and battle lines are being drawn over drilling in Ohio, where drilling companies remain secretive about whether the Utica Shale will be a boom or bust. (New York Times, EnergyWire, Reuters)

EFFICIENCY: Thanks to a major efficiency effort, Minot Air Force Base, despite being in a climate where temperatures can swing from 105°F in summer to -30°F in winter, has some of the lowest building energy costs in the entire military. (Midwest Energy News)

WIND: The U.S. wind industry adds a record number of turbines in 2012, Iowa’s renewable energy industry could be stalling, and expiring federal tax credits threaten to cut short Nebraska’s wind revival. (Cedar Rapids Gazette, Lincoln Journal Star)

POLITICS: How the “war on coal” narrative distorts reality, and environmental groups are split on whether to attack President Obama on climate inaction. (Associated Press, The Hill)

GREEN ECONOMY: Three current and former workers at a battery plant in Holland, Michigan, say their work has been offshored to South Korea as workers idle away the hours playing cards or doing volunteer work on company time. (WOOD-TV)

CHICAGO: What will be the outcome if Chicago voters allow the city to negotiate utility rates on their behalf? (Chicago Tribune)

PIPELINES: More than 90 Wisconsin families sign on to a lawsuit over a July gasoline pipeline spill. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

OIL: A North Dakota county wants oil companies to sign an agreement pledging to restore roads to their original condition. (Fargo Forum)

CLIMATE: A 14-year-old girl sues the state of Kansas over CO2 emissions. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: A Detroit Free Press columnist explains why he’s voting for a stronger renewable energy standard.

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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