OIL: North Dakota’s congressional delegation calls for tougher rail safety standards and more pipelines, an oil train derails in Philadelphia, and documents show regulators were aware of the risks of hauling crude oil prior to recent high-profile accidents. (Fargo Forum, Associated Press, Reuters, NBC News)

ALSO: Would Keystone XL prevent oil train explosions? (InsideClimate News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Want to make solar shine in Minnesota? Attend Solar Powering Minnesota on March 7 to learn and connect about the programs, incentives, and resources to make it happen. See the agenda and register at growsolar.org.***

COAL: It’s not just West Virginia: an Associated Press analysis finds hundreds of cases of water contamination from coal production; North Dakota regulators will discuss what new carbon standards will mean for coal-fired generation in the state; and the comment period opens for a proposed Kansas coal plant. (Associated Press, Fargo Forum)

CLIMATE: The U.N. says the cost of holding off the worst impacts of climate change would be about 4 percent of global GDP, environmental groups urge President Obama to drop the “all of the above” energy narrative, a new report outlines how Obama can bypass Congress on environmental issues, and an Iowa candidate for U.S. Senate tries to reconcile his past comments supporting cap-and-trade. (Bloomberg, The Hill, National Journal, Des Moines Register)

SOLAR: How Missouri’s solar program became a victim of its own success, and a community solar project in rural Minnesota has sold nearly half its shares. (EnergyWire, KVLY)

UTILITIES: A North Dakota cooperative scrambles to find new workers amid a surge of retirements. (Bismarck Tribune)

NUCLEAR: A few months after completing a major upgrade, a Minnesota nuclear plant shuts down for repairs. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

OHIO: Gov. John Kasich declares a state of emergency to speed heating oil and propane shipments to rural areas. (WLWT)

WISCONSIN: Why a waste-to-energy proposal is generating controversy in a Wisconsin county. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

TRANSPORTATION: Young, budget-strapped travelers spark a revival of intercity bus travel. (Greenwire)

COMMENTARY: How water limitations can make fossil fuels “intermittent,” too. (Forbes)

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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