CLIMATE CHANGE: Declining crop yields and less efficiency and productivity are projected to hit the Midwest if climate change goes unchecked, according to a new economic report. (ClimateWire)
COAL: A Murray Energy subsidiary accuses Gov. John Kasich’s administration of holding up a mining project in Ohio. (Columbus Dispatch)
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SOLAR: An organization in Minnesota looks to offer free community solar to low-income residents receiving federal energy assistance. (ClimateProgress)
FRACKING: Advocates in Ohio write to EPA, challenging a state department’s authority to collect information on hazardous substances related to fracking. (Columbus Dispatch)
KEYSTONE XL: Senate Republicans are unable to shut down debate over the project, meaning a final vote won’t happen until next week. (The Hill)
MICHIGAN: A new report highlights barriers to clean-energy development in Michigan. (MLive)
NORTH DAKOTA: EPA report says a more than 4 million gallon mixture of brine, freshwater and oil have has been pumped from the site of the state’s largest saltwater spill. (Associated Press)
OIL: Oil prices likely won’t rebound until the second half of 2015, and analysts give five reasons why. While drilling in ANWR is off the table indefinitely, Obama is expected to announce a plan today allowing oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast. (EnergyWire, New York Times)
ALSO: EMS first responders in Iowa say that while increased crude oil shipments pose accident risks, lines of communication and cooperation are improving. (Sioux City Journal)
YELLOWSTONE: Federal regulators order the pipeline company responsible for the oil spill into the Yellowstone River to make major upgrades to the Line. (Associated Press)
AIR POLLUTION: A suburban Chicago EPA office is forced to throw out three years’ worth of air pollution monitoring data, delaying decisions on whether areas in three states comply with the Clean Air Act. (GreenWire)
FRACKING: A lawsuit before the Oklahoma Supreme Court could set a precedent for damage following earthquakes: ‘These wells will become economic and legal-liability pariahs,’ attorney says. (Tulsa World)
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CHICAGO: The city’s Citizen’s Utility Board releases a list of the top 10 worst electric rates from alternative suppliers, gives tips to avoid misleading deals. (ABC-TV 7)
COMMENTARY: Keystone XL could be rendered obsolete if its approval is coupled with a carbon tax. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)