FRACKING:
• Fracking is creating a new dividing line between red and blue states, with the affiliation of a state’s legislature and governor often reflected in whether the practice is welcome or shunned. (The Hill)
• The EPA’s acknowledgment that fracking has contaminated some drinking water marks a notable reversal for the agency. (InsideClimate News)

NUCLEAR: The U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday awards of more than $60 million in research funding for 68 projects around the country to encourage scientific breakthroughs that help nuclear power. (The Hill)

DRILLING: Oil and gas drillers retired four more oil rigs last week, marking 26 consecutive weeks of slowing activity among drillers. (FuelFix)

COAL: Norway’s Parliament voted Friday to divest its $890 billion government pension fund from coal, which could impact U.S. oil companies. (The New York Times)

TRANSITION: The tide is turning against the Legislative Exchange Council in the renewable energy battle, as illustrated by the face-off in North Carolina over the state’s renewable portfolio standard. (ThinkProgress)

PROTEST: Thousands of protesters marched through downtown St. Paul to the Minnesota capitol on Saturday, calling for the cancellation of a proposed oil pipeline that would travel near some of the state’s pristine waters. (StarTribune)

WIND: After a one-two legislative punch last year brought wind energy in Ohio to a standstill, advocates, developers and even some Republican lawmakers are pushing back, citing economic benefits. (Midwest Energy News)

SHAREHOLDERS: A review of shareholder proposals over 25 years at the three largest U.S. oil companies found that investors submitted more than 100 climate-related resolutions, none of which was approved. (InsideClimate News)

BIOMASS: CPS Energy is giving new life to old-school log utility poles in San Antonio, Texas, by turning them into biomass fuel. (FierceEnergy)

OIL SPILL: A Texas company whose ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years had assured the government that a break in the line, while possible, was “extremely unlikely.” (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Carmakers, environmentalists and San Diego Gas & Electric have agreed to support a pilot project to install electric vehicle charging at up to 550 sites in the utility’s service area, with special rates at optimal times for the grid. (Environmental News Service)
• The new Hyundai Sonata hybrid and plug-in hybrid are a new breed of midsize cars barely distinguishable from their conventionally powered counterparts. (USA Today)

PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said he believes in climate change and pledges to tackle greenhouse gas emissions “in a business-friendly way,” if he is elected president. (Politico)

POLL: A new worldwide survey shows nearly 80 percent of people are ‘very concerned’ about climate change and want their home countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions even if other nations do not. (Voice of America)

COMMENTARY:,Coal is the easy fossil fuel to divest from because it’s in decline and beginning to be seen as a risky industry for investors. (Fortune)