Articles on Energy

Includes alternative energy, biofuels, biomass, coal, efficiency, geothermal, green technology, nuclear, oil, policy, smart grids, solar, weatherization, and wind.

Eastlake, Cleveland Power Plants Among 4 FirstEnergy Corp. Plants to Close in Ohio
Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 26, 2012
FirstEnergy Corp. plans to shut down six older power plants -- including four in Ohio -- because they will not meet new federal air pollution standards for mercury and other poisonous metals.

Jobs vs. Environment Debate Dominates Hearing on Coal Gasification Plant
Evansville Courier Press, January 25, 2012
Stern warnings of environmental harm clashed with appeals to create badly needed jobs Wednesday night at a public hearing about a proposed coal gasification plant in Spencer County.

Energy Firm to Put Solar Array Near Wind Farms
Star Tribune, January 25, 2012

A project near Slayton, Minn., will test whether the alternative energy sources can complement each other, increase reliability.

Richland, Crawford County Wind Farm Construction May Start in Spring
Mansfield News Journal, January 25, 2012
The board said the project will have minimal to no impact on drinking water, watersheds, wildlife and the environment. The wind turbines may result in the loss of habitat for some wildlife and cause bird and bat fatalities.

MDOT Targeting Carbon Footprint with Solar Panels at East Beltline Commuter Lot
Michigan Live, January 25, 2012
The project, a first in Michigan, involves constructing solar panels above certain parking spots at the commuter lot, located near Malarky's restaurant.

Midwest Hybrid Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Says It's Ready to Fulfill President Obama's State of the Union Blueprint for U.S. Jobs and Alternative Energy Technology Leadership
Sacramentio Bee, January 24, 2012
A Midwest-based plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufacturer is calling on Congressional and media critics to put their partisanship aside and heed President Obama's call to create American jobs and spur the development of alternative energy technology by swiftly processing its loan application under the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) Program – which Congress authorized in 2007.

Ethanol Firm Says ‘No Thanks’ to Fed Money
Des Moines Register, January 23, 2012

Poet, the ethanol producer that manages seven production plants in Iowa, turned down a $105 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy Monday after it entered into a joint venture with a Dutch company to help with its new cellulosic ethanol plant at Emmetsburg.

Coal Plants Dominate List of Chicago's Biggest Polluters
Chicago Tribune, January 22, 2012
Fed by a steady stream of coal barges, the aging power plants that loom over Chicago's Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods are by far the city's largest industrial sources of climate change pollution.

Biofuels Will Fly High, U.S. Officials Predict
Chicago Tribune, January 17, 2012
The administration's strategy mirrors longtime government policies that subsidize farmers. It relies heavily on providing grants, loan guarantees and tax breaks to build biofuel refineries and research centers; paying farmers to switch from growing traditional feedstocks to nonfood biofuel-related production; and providing funding for biofuel producers to purchase the feedstock, Vilsack said.

Offshore Wind Energy Right for Great Lakes? Picture Becoming Clearer
Medill Reports Chicago, January 11, 2012
Scientists in Michigan reeled in an impressive catch last month—a seven-ton floating laboratory that weathered a two-month trial on Lake Michigan to inform researchers about the potential to power wind energy installations offshore.

Gov. Quinn Lights Up About Efficient Energy
Medill Reports Chicago, January 11, 2012
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn kicked off the Midwest Industrial Energy Efficiency Summit Wednesday, strongly endorsing plans for a high-speed rail line from Chicago to St. Louis.

Illinois Program Will Educate Students on Wind Power
Renewable Energy World, January 9, 2012
Matt Aldeman, senior energy analyst for the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University, said the program's purpose is to engage Illinois teachers and students in energy education, specifically targeting wind energy.

The Road for E85 Fuel Just Got Rougher
Star Tribune, January 7, 2012
The high-ethanol fuel known as E85 has gained a small foothold in Minnesota in recent years, thanks in part to a subsidized price advantage and the presence of major producers and blenders in the state.

Natural Gas, Oil Boom Spurs Sand Mining in Midwest
Associated Press, January 6, 2012
The rolling hills and scenic bluffs of western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota hide a valuable resource that has sparked what’s been called a modern-day gold rush.

U.S.-Brazil Ethanol Swap Seen in '12
Des Moines Register, January 6, 2012
Last year, Midwest ethanol producers shipped an estimated 250 million gallons of their product to Brazil, which ran short of the biofuel for its domestic market. Production in Brazil has fallen amid high sugar prices and a succession of poor harvests.

Iowa to Add 176 New Wind Turbines This Year
Des Moines Register, January 6, 2012
MidAmerican Energy Co. said Friday that it will build 176 wind turbines with generating capacity of 407.1 megawatts in Marshall, Tama, Guthrie, Audubon and Adair counties by the end of this year.

With Long Paybacks, Vertical Turbines Still A Tough Sell
Earth Techling, January 6, 2012
Proponents say small wind turbines are ready to be an indispensable part of any home or small business’s energy mix, while critics say they’re inherently expensive and inefficient.

Gas-rich Ohio is in the running for a $2 billion chemical plant
Cleveland Live, January 5, 2012
A giant chemical plant that processes natural gas is coming to the Midwest and Ohio leaders hope the state's newly tapped gas deposits, coupled with growing industries that use gas products, make Ohio the favored location.

N.D. Researchers Brewing Energy From Coffee Waste
Midwest Energy News, January 3, 2012
The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota is leading a project to develop a waste-to-energy gasification system for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

December 2011

Power Plants in Chicago Latino Areas Move to Reduce Pollution
Latin American Herald Tribune, December 29, 2011
The company that owns two coal-fired power plants blamed for pollution in Chicago’s largest Hispanic neighborhoods announced the installation of emission controls to comply with new state and federal environmental regulations.

Michigan Landfills Find Ways to Turn Garbage into Energy
Detroit Free Press, December 27, 2011
At modern landfills, gone are the days when trucks simply backed up and unloaded every item a family or business chose to discard. Gone, too, are the days when government officials were wringing their hands over landfills running out of space. These days, landfill operators are trying to turn trash into gold, not bury it.

Ohio Sand Turns to Gold as Drilling Boom Comes to Buckeye State
Beacon Journal, December 26, 2011
Rob Sidley is sitting on a gold mine, thanks to Mother Nature. His family-owned company produces the special sand needed for the drilling boom in Ohio’s deep layer of Utica shale. The sand is perfect for the hydraulic fracturing process — or fracking — which uses force to open cracks in the shale and free up natural gas, oil and other lucrative products.

Wisconsin's Biggest Wind Farm Goes Online
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 20, 2011
Construction of the largest wind farm in the state is complete, with the Glacier Hills Wind Park northeast of Madison online and generating power for We Energies.

Are Small Rust Belt Cities the Future of Green?
Atlantic Cities, December 16, 2011
Journalist and historian Catherine Tumber thinks smaller industrial cities, like Syracuse, New York, Flint, Michigan, and Muncie, Indiana, need serious attention and—"don’t laugh," she writes—could be instrumental in moving us toward an economically dynamic, low-carbon future.

Illinois Coal Plants Ahead of EPA Mercury Rule
Bloomberg Businessweek, December 16, 2011
Most Illinois utilities won't miss a beat when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires coal-fired power plants to control mercury emissions for the first time -- a decision environmental and health advocates say will reduce developmental problems in children but some industry groups complain is too restrictive. In fact, the state already is way ahead.

Natural Gas Takes Air Out of Wind
Des Moines Register, December 15, 2011
Offshore Atlantic wind has been promoted as an alternative to clean electricity generated in Iowa and elsewhere in the wind-rich Midwestern plains.

Days May Be Numbered for Some Coal Power Plants
Twin Cities Star Tribune, December 13, 2011
Many of Minnesota's old, coal-burning power plants could be headed for retirement, as long-awaited environmental regulations force utilities and regulators to decide whether costly pollution-control upgrades are worth doing.

We Energies to Reduce Emissions
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 13, 2011
We Energies has asked the state Public Service Commission to approve a natural gas pipeline project that would replace a portion of the pipeline system in Milwaukee, West Allis and West Milwaukee. The project will be needed to ensure an adequate supply of natural gas to the Menomonee River Valley.

Interview: Michigan's Director of the Office of the Great Lakes Puts Offshore Wind Issue in Governor's Hands
Michigan Live, December 10, 2011
The governor is expected to discuss Michigan's energy future in an address in the first half of 2012, just as Snyder already has tackled taxes, the state budget, transportation, education, government consolidation and employment skills in past policy statements.

$5.2 Billion Plan for Midwest Power Grid Approved
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 8, 2011
The projects are driven by a push to improve the flow of renewable energy from the windy Plains states to the east as well as to improve the ability of low-cost power to flow across the Midwest, said Clair Moeller, vice president of the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator.

Midwest Companies Helping Military Go Green
Finance and Commerce, December 7, 2011
From biofuels to solar energy and geothermal to electric vehicles, the military is investing big money in renewables, putting $1.2 billion into the green business pipeline last year, an investment only expected to grow, according to a recent report by the Pew Project on National Security, Energy & Climate. Companies in the Midwest are attempting to win contracts in the emerging military market for sustainability solutions.

Potawatomi Tribe Plans $18.5 Million Biomass Energy Project
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 7, 2011
The tribe was awarded a $2.5 million grant for a variety of renewable energy projects from the U.S. Department of Energy. This project would be funded, as well as a recently completed solar installation at the tribe's administration building in Milwaukee and renewable energy projects that are in the planning stage on the tribe's reservation in northern Wisconsin.

Corn Ethanol Will Survive Subsidy Loss, CEO Says
Star Tribune, December 7, 2011
Broin, who three decades ago began experimenting with ethanol making on his family's farm in Wanamingo, Minn., said ethanol has been priced on average 16 cents below gasoline for the past three years.

Show-Me State Showing Alternate Energy Promise
Kansas City Star, December 6, 2011
When it comes to renewable energy, Missouri usually isn’t seen as a major player especially when compared to neighboring Kansas. But Stanley Bull, director of energy science and technology for MRIGlobal, the Kansas City research institute, believes Missouri has great potential in producing renewable energy that someday could provide all the electricity the state uses.

Even in Midwest, Water for Power Plants a Concern
Midwest Energy News, December 1, 2011
During a 2006 heat wave, the Prairie Island nuclear power plant in Minnesota had to cut its power generation by more than half because the water it draws from the Mississippi River for cooling was too hot. Such occurrences could become increasingly common with climate change and growing power demands, according to a report released Nov. 15 by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

November 2011

Indiana Feels the Power of Minnesota's Wind
Twin Cities Star Tribune, November 29, 2011
Wind farms that produce for export could become a growth industry. The people in Lakefield, a small farming community in southwest Minnesota, can look across the prairie in three directions and see fields of wind turbines. But the blades aren't turning for them. The 137 machines that tower above rows of corn and soybeans produce electricity for a utility two states away: Indianapolis Power & Light Co.

Some Think a Gas Boom Can Reignite Ohio's Manufacturing Economy
Plain Dealer, November 22, 2011
Gas fields are taking shape in the rural counties southeast of Cleveland, and that's no wind farm. Gas is a proven fossil fuel with a global market. In natural gas, some see an economic catalyst with the strength and reach to spark an industrial renaissance.

EPA Rules Could Shut 13,000 Megawatts of Midwest Coal Plants
Reuters, November 18, 2011
Proposed federal environmental regulations could shut about 13,000 megawatts of coal fired generation, boost power prices, threaten electric reliability and cost billions to retrofit or replace most of the region's existing coal fleet, according to U.S. power grid operator Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO).

State Dept Eyes Rerouting Keystone XL Pipeline
Reuters, November 9, 2011
The State Department is considering rerouting TransCanada Corp.'s proposed $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline to avoid ecologically sensitive areas of Nebraska, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Great Lakes Solar Technology Park in Thomas Township Could be a Magnet to New Energy Jobs, Officials Hope
Saginaw News, November 6, 2011

On a farm field familiar with soybeans and corn, the hopes of Saginaw County’s green industry could grow toward the sun. The land behind an old farmhouse is where economic development officials hope solar industry jobs sprout in the future: Great Lakes Solar Technology Park, on a 240-acre greenfield at Graham and Gratiot. A mile away, officials hope Hemlock Semiconductor Corp., the world’s biggest manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon, will attract more companies in the solar supply chain.

Tech Prof Says Jobs May Trump Wind Issues
Journal Gazette, November 6, 2011
At Indiana Tech, John Renie, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been waiting all summer for his turbine to arrive. The school laid a foundation for a small wind turbine near Maumee Avenue and South Anthony Boulevard. Projects such as the one planned at Indiana Tech could possibly fill some of the gap when it comes to wind-energy research in the Midwest.

October 2011

Congressman Shimkus Tours Fuel Facilities, Talks Oil Production
WJBD100.1FM, October 31, 2011
Shimkus states the XL Pipeline Project will help the jobs of South Central Illinois with supply and demand. "Because some of this crude oil goes through this facility, this helps brandish and keep the liability; this is a major hub."

New Wind Farm to Help OPPD Reach Energy Goal
Omaha World-Herald, October 31, 2011
Nebraska's newest wind farm will go a long way toward the Omaha Public Power District's goal of having 10 percent of the power it sells coming from renewable or sustainable energy sources by 2020.

Nebraska Seeks a Say on the Route of a Pipeline
The New York Times, October 30, 2011
With a federal decision anticipated soon on whether an oil pipeline will be allowed to run from Canada through the nation’s midsection, lawmakers in Nebraska are being summoned on Tuesday to an unexpected legislative session over the issue, which has stirred up a level of rancor that few had predicted.

From Waste to Windfall: UWO Biodigester a One-of-a-Kind Power Plant
TheNorthwestern.com, October 27, 2011
With the ability to consume 120 tons of organic material each week and 8,000 tons each year, the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's new anaerobic biodigester decomposes organic waste to produce methane gas that can generate 53 megawatt hours each year, enough to offset 8 percent of the UWO campus' electricity use.

Ind. Environmentalists Wary of Oil Pipeline Plan
The Associated Press, October 26, 2011
The oil industry says a new oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast might create jobs for Indiana residents if the Obama administration approves its construction. But Indiana environmentalists say the state should focus on modernizing its auto industry to make clean cars instead.

State Urged to Beef Up Clean Energy Policies in Order to Create Jobs
Wisconsin State Journal, October 25, 2011
Two reports show Wisconsin has a significant renewable power industry, but with a stronger state commitment, it could be saving more energy and creating more jobs.

US May Miss Year-End Goal for Keystone Oil Line
Reuters, October 25, 2011
The U.S. State Department may miss a year-end target to approve TransCanada Corp's Canada-to-Texas Keystone oil sands pipeline, a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday, risking a further delay to the most important new crude oil conduit in decades.

Clean Energy Means More Jobs, Report Says
The Capital Times, October 25, 2011
A report released Tuesday by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, says Wisconsin could create as many as 14,600 new jobs while saving utility customers up to $946 million on their electric and natural gas bills by expanding the Focus on Energy program. The program promotes making Wisconsin homes, businesses, and farms more energy efficient.

Monastery Sees Pay Back From Wind Turbines
Dickinson Press, October 24, 2011
Two wind turbines have helped generate electricity for the Sacred heart Monastery in North Dakota since June 1997. The monastery was awarded a $10,000 North Dakota Economic Development grant to pursue wind energy development and was recently restructured to be heated by geothermal energy.

Feds Want Utility Project Costs to be Shared.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 23, 2011
A vote last week by federal energy regulators clears a path for utility customers throughout the Midwest to pick up the $5 billion cost for 17 major power line projects across the region.

Wind Turbine Issue Turns Slowly
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 23, 2011
Ninety turbines are being erected by Wisconsin contractors including the Boldt Co., Edgerton Contractors and Michels Corp., in a $367 million project. On a typical day this year, about 175 workers have been on the job, pouring foundations, constructing towers and hoisting turbines and blades into place.

Rural Ohio is the Wild West as Gas and Oil Companies Compete for Drilling Rights
Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 22, 2011
The boom in gas wells that turned Pittsburgh into "the new Houston," made rich men out of poor farmers, and spawned an environmental backlash, has reached Ohio.

State's Energy-Efficiency Rank Dips
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 20, 2011
Wisconsin's move to roll back funding increases for programs that help homeowners and businesses save on energy bills was criticized in a report Thursday by a national energy efficiency advocacy group.

Changing Gears: Will Advanced Batteries Charge Up the Midwest Economy?
WBEZ91.5, October 19, 2011
Three years ago, the advanced battery industry in the United States existed only in the imagination. Today, however, it is estimated that a slew of lithium ion battery plants and their suppliers will have created about 750 jobs in Michigan by the end of the year. This growth has attracted the interest of other Midwest towns, but there is debate over the growth potential of this high-tech sector.

N.D. Oil Patch Swelling South
Argus Leader, October 19, 2011
North Dakota's booming oil patch is sweeping down to South Dakota, amid speculation that a reservoir similar to the rich Bakken shale formation could contain millions of barrels of crude.

A LEED-Like Designation for Power Providers
Crain's Chicago Business, October 19, 2011
A non-profit group started by the late Robert Galvin to foster innovation in the power industry today is unveiling a new “seal of approval” for providers of electricity, modeled on the successful LEED designation for green building.

Solar Sector Heats Up with 6.8% Job Growth
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 17, 2011
The solar sector is expanding nationwide, a new report out Monday found, but a renewable energy advocate warned that Wisconsin could see a pullback in solar projects and growth next year.

Mitsubishi Plans to Flood Midwest Town with Electric Cars
USA Today, October 11, 2011
In an effort to prove electric cars will work — are "normal" — even in the smaller cities of middle America, Mitsubishi Motors is flooding the city of Normal, Ill., with up to 1,000 of its coming "i" electric cars.

Offshore Wind Legislation Stymied
Traverse City Record-Eagle, October 8, 2011
A year ago state energy experts recommended developing offshore wind energy in the Great Lakes, but lawmakers have not passed legislation needed to implement it.

Columbia Residents Join Solar Energy Projects to Save Money, Environment
Missourian, October 8, 2011
Since Columbia first developed solar projects in 2007, both solar energy production and solar energy demand has increased, said Connie Kacprowicz, spokeswoman for Columbia Water and Light.

Solar Companies Say Demand is on the Bright Side
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 8, 2011
The bankruptcy of high-profile and government-backed Solyndra has cast a shadow over solar power at a time when demand for the industry's products is rising.

U.S. Venture Aims to Improve Wind Energy Forecasting and Save Billions
Midwest Energy News, October 7, 2011
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of Energy have deployed more than a dozen new wind detection instruments across a 300-square-mile rectangle over the Upper Midwest in an attempt to measure the economic value of improved forecasting to the energy industry. NOAA is also making a next-generation weather modeling service available to its research partners, including St. Paul forecasting firm WindLogics.

Energy Funding Sought for Campus Microgrids
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 4, 2011
The Wisconsin Energy Research Consortium will seek state assistance for a project to develop microgrids on the campuses of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin-Madison, the group's executive director said.

'Microgrids' Energy Storage Project Announced
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 4, 2011
A new project aimed at making Wisconsin a national center of expertise for energy "microgrids" was announced Monday by a team that includes the state's four largest engineering schools and several large Milwaukee-area employers.

Biofuels Costly, Impacts Questionable, Study Says
Des Moines Register, October 4, 2011
Next-generation biofuels are so expensive and difficult to make that the nation is unlikely to meet the government’s usage mandates, according to the National Research Council.