COAL: The sudden change of fortune for an Indiana coal gasification plant also stalls a first-of-its-kind CO2 pipeline from Denbury Resources that was considered a potential emissions game changer. (ClimateWire)
ALSO: Despite a short-term uptick in coal use, American Electric Power still expects a long-term move away from the fuel; and Wisconsin regulators approve emissions upgrades to a Sheboygan coal plant. (Columbus Dispatch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
NUCLEAR: The NRC announces a $70,000 safety fine for the Kewaunee nuclear plant, which is scheduled to close next week, and also tries to figure out how two goldfish got inside the Perry nuclear plant in Ohio. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
WIND: A new “brilliant” turbine design uses a built-in storage battery to minimize variability, and Wisconsin regulators give developers of a proposed wind farm another chance to prove they can meet noise requirements. (Quartz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
PIPELINES: Plans to expand an Upper Midwest oil sands pipeline could escalate into another Keystone XL-scale political battle, and ExxonMobil is a no-show at a public meeting in Arkansas to discuss the recent oil spill. (Bloomberg, Arkansas Times)
NORTH DAKOTA: Lawmakers approve more than $1 billion in state aid to offset impacts of the oil boom, a utility plans two new natural gas peaker plants to meet increasing electric demand, and two oilmen will run a horse named “Frac Daddy” in this year’s Kentucky Derby. (Fargo Forum, Minot Daily News, Dickinson Press)
POLLUTION: Environmental groups sue the EPA, seeking a review of how the agency calculates pollution from refineries. (Houston Chronicle)
BIOFUELS: Tensions rise at a Capitol Hill ethanol briefing when an oil industry analyst unexpectedly shows up. (Des Moines Register)
TRANSPORTATION: A Minnesota transportation bill includes preferences for locally-made solar panels and protections for bike lanes. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
COMMENTARY: Ohio falls behind on high-speed rail, farmer-owned wind power is on the rise in Iowa, and what it will take for natural gas vehicles to take off. (Toledo Blade, CleanTechnica, Washington Post)