WIND: Wisconsin regulators reject a proposed wind farm, citing noise concerns, but developers can re-apply; backers of an offshore wind project in Lake Erie get $4 million from the Energy Department for engineering and design; and South Dakota lawmakers back new tax incentives for wind farms. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Associated Press)

CLIMATE: The GAO labels climate change a “high risk” for the U.S. government, and scientists describe current and expected climate change impacts at a Senate briefing. (The Hill, ClimateWire)

ALSO: Keystone XL remains a political touchstone, but is not the only issue for protesters gathering in Washington D.C. this weekend. (Midwest Energy News)

OIL SANDS: Enbridge plans to convert natural gas pipelines in Illinois to ship crude oil to the Gulf Coast, and Canada is expected to release greenhouse gas emission rules for oil sands operations soon. (Toronto Globe and Mail, Reuters)

FRACKING: The owner of an Ohio drilling company accused of dumping wastewater into a storm drain will face federal charges of violating the Clean Water Act. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

TESLA: New York Times reporter John Broder responds to Elon Musk’s claims that he sabotaged an ill-fated test of Tesla’s East Coast charging network; meanwhile, CNNMoney reporter Peter Valdes-Dapena drives a Model S from D.C. to Boston without incident: “it wasn’t that hard,” he writes.

COAL: An Indiana appeals court declines to review a state contract with a proposed coal-to-gas plant, possibly sending the matter to the state Supreme Court. (Evansville Courier & Press)

NORTH DAKOTA: Oil Patch expansion threatens Teddy Roosevelt’s “cradle of conservation.” (Greenwire)

MICHIGAN: The first in a series of public hearings on Michigan’s energy future is held in Lansing. (MLive.com)

COMMENTARY: Why “energy independence” won’t free us from Middle East conflicts, Twitter users are baffled by President Obama’s reference to a “self-healing grid,” and five takeaways from the Tesla-New York Times fight. (Bloomberg, GreenTech Media, GigaOM)

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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