CLIMATE: More than 300,000 people march in New York and elsewhere to demand action on climate change, the same day a new report finds U.S. carbon emissions are rising again after falling for several years. (New York Times)

ALSO: The march was largely ignored by television news yesterday; protests are expected to continue on Wall Street today. (Media Matters, Reuters)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join Schlumberger, CN Rail & many more at the 2nd Annual Frac Sand Logistics & Market Forecast Summit USA as they find practical solutions for overcoming rail, storage and transloading bottlenecks. Midwest Energy News readers save 15% with code ‘FRSMEN15’ ***

COAL: Dynegy’s plan to make its newly acquired Illinois coal plants profitable by switching grid operators will cost ratepayers millions with little, if any, improvement in reliability, according to a recent analysis. (Midwest Energy News)

SOLAR:
• A study finds schools are saving millions by installing solar panels. (ClimateWire)
• Solar advocates say a South Dakota utility’s proposed rate change is intended to inhibit solar power. (Rapid City Journal)
• Minnesota reservation plans a 1 MW solar project. (Forum News Service)
• GTM Research ranks Minnesota among its top five states for solar innovation. (Greentech Media)

WIND: An Iowa Democrat co-sponsors a bill that would revive the production tax credit, among other measures; wind energy complicates the Kansas governor’s race; and a facility to service wind turbine gearboxes will open next year in St. Paul. (The Hill, Al Jazeera, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

ETHANOL: The cellulosic ethanol industry still faces a great deal of uncertainty despite recent refinery openings, and earnings are stronger for ethanol producers thanks in part to lower corn prices. (New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: An analysis suggests the PJM Interconnection has cost ratepayers more than $1.3 billion in recent years by overlooking energy efficiency. (CleanTechnica)

FRAC SAND: A Wisconsin groundwater ruling could have a major impact on future frac sand mining. (Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism)

NUCLEAR: A report finds dismantling a Kansas nuclear plant could cost as much as $1 billion. (Wichita Eagle)

OIL: A well failure spills 20 barrels of oil onto a North Dakota wheat field and wetland. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join top executives from the area’s RTOs, utilities, transmission developers, and state regulatory agencies at EUCI’s Transmission Expansion in the Midwest, Nov. 4-5 in Indianapolis.***

POLITICS: A poll finds energy policy is a low priority for voters. (Columbus Business First)

COMMENTARY: Why clean energy is essential to Ohio industries. (Columbus CEO)

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.