Ken Paulman

Ken Paulman

Director of Impact .

Ken Paulman is the director of impact at Canary Media. He was previously the founder and director of the Energy News Network, which merged with Canary Media in 2025. He has also worked in a variety of editing positions at Minnesota Public Radio, the Spokane Spokesman-Review, and the Duluth News Tribune.

Ken grew up on a farm two miles from Nebraska’s largest coal plant, and now lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his family and a very spoiled dog.

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Analysis: $1B in subsidies for Keystone XL refiners

While the Keystone XL pipeline may not receive direct payments from the U.S. government, an analysis by two environmental groups finds that taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $1 billion in tax breaks for the refiners that will process the oil.

By Ken Paulman . 8 February 2012
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The '100 mpg prize': An idea whose time has passed?

A congressman's proposal to offer a $1 billion prize for 100 mpg cars has roots in history, but what history actually tells us may not be what he wants to hear.

By Ken Paulman . 3 February 2012
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Dispatches from the oil boom

There's been plenty of press about how North Dakota's oil boom is affecting long-time residents of the area, but most of us know little about the day-to-day life of the thousands of workers who have flocked to the state to work in the oil fields.

By Ken Paulman . 27 January 2012
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For U.S. wind industry, a storm before the calm

The wind industry continued to expand in 2011, but industry officials said the momentum is likely to come to an abrupt halt if a crucial tax incentive is allowed to expire this year.
Photo by bevknits via Creative Commons

By Ken Paulman . 26 January 2012
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Playing the health card

Despite a lack of evidence, opponents of smart meters, power lines and wind turbines continue to repeat claims that they are harmful to human health. Why? Because it works.

By Ken Paulman . 24 January 2012
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Changing the conversation to conservation

In Kansas, it seems, the first rule of climate change is: Don't talk about climate change.

By Ken Paulman . 19 January 2012
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Note to readers

Midwest Energy News will be taking the day off in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Regular updates and the email digest will return tomorrow.

By Ken Paulman . 16 January 2012
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Carbon emissions: Think locally

Politico compares greenhouse gas emissions with unemployment figures. What does that tell us?

By Ken Paulman . 12 January 2012
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Did ending ethanol subsidy raise gasoline prices?

On January 1, the 45-cent per gallon federal tax credit for ethanol expired. Since then, gasoline prices have gone up in some places by more than 20 cents per gallon, leading to some speculation that there's a connection.

By Ken Paulman . 5 January 2012
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Garbage trucks powered by ... garbage

While using waste methane from landfills or agricultural operations to produce electricity is becoming more common, EnergyNOW reports that Waste Management is going a step further and using the gas to power some of its garbage trucks in California.

By Ken Paulman . 4 January 2012