WIND: Developers of a controversial Minnesota wind farm will try again today to persuade state regulators that they have plans to adequately protect nearby eagles, and a Wisconsin wind tower manufacturer projects sales growth in 2013 thanks to extension of the production tax credit. (St. Paul Pioneer Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

FRACKING: A series of infrastructure projects this year in Ohio are expected to break the bottleneck holding back Utica Shale development. (EnergyWire)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register Now for the 2013 Sustainability Summit & Exposition, March 6-8 in Milwaukee. Keynote speakers include Will Allen, Ed Begley, Jr., Dr. James Hansen and Michael Mann. ***

SOLAR: Royal Dutch Shell, which exited the solar business four years ago, now projects solar panels could be the world’s primary source of energy by 2070. (Bloomberg)

TECHNOLOGY: At the ARPA-E summit, entrepreneurs learn it takes more than a good idea, or even a working concept, to get venture capitalists to part with their money; and a Michigan battery maker gets an extension to meet requirements on state tax incentives. (Midwest Energy News, Detroit News)

OIL: While the oil boom fills state coffers in North Dakota, the strain to provide services for a rapidly growing population has left the city of Williston “to some extent, destroyed”; meanwhile, state lawmakers consider cutting the state’s oil extraction tax rate. (Bloomberg, Fargo Forum)

PIPELINES: Enbridge presents landowners with plans for a new 165-mile pipeline in Illinois, and more details are revealed on the threat that cyberattacks pose to natural gas pipelines. (Decatur Herald-Review, Christian Science Monitor)

KEYSTONE XL: A White House aide distances President Obama from the Keystone XL decision process, and Nebraska Rep. Lee Terry says he doesn’t think the administration will approve the project. (The Hill, Platts)

EPA: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issues a report challenging the way the EPA calculates job growth from environmental regulation. (The Hill)

EFFICIENCY: A Democratic Congressman says he’s confident the U.S. House will approve a comprehensive energy efficiency bill. (The Hill)

TRANSMISSION: Wisconsin lawmakers are rapidly advancing a bill that would allow American Transmission Co. to expand its out-of-state operations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

NUCLEAR: A taxpayer watchdog group gives federal support for small nuclear reactors its “Golden Fleece” award. (CleanTechnica)

COMMENTARY: A Minnesota high school student shares her disappointment with how her school handles teaching climate science. (GEEKs network)

 

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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