Analysis finds Ohioans double their money with efficiency law

EFFICIENCY: An analysis by clean-energy advocates finds efficiency programs that Ohio lawmakers seek to dismantle have saved ratepayers $2 for every $1 spent. (Columbus Dispatch)

ILLINOIS: Lawmakers in Illinois have yet to resolve a conflict between two laws that has stifled renewable energy development in the state. (EnergyWire)

***SPONSORED LINK: Located in the heart of Chicago, Coalition: Energy is the Midwest’s energy and cleantech hub, bringing together innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, NGOs and executives in a dynamic coworking environment. Check here for more information and upcoming events.***

FRACKING: In a landmark case, a Texas family is awarded nearly $3 million for health problems caused by nearby fracking operations, and Ohio advocates say the state is holding back data on earthquakes. (Los Angeles Times, Youngstown Vindicator)

TRANSPORTATION: Despite shortfalls in road funding, proposals to tax motorists based on their mileage face broad opposition, from truckers to clean energy advocates. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO: Wisconsin regulators say Milwaukee can’t require utilities to pay for moving power lines to accommodate a streetcar project. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

COAL: Federal regulators announce new safety rules to protect coal miners from black lung disease; Ohio-based Murray Energy says it will sue over the rules, which it claims ​“seek to destroy the coal industry.” And production resumes at an Indiana coal mine. (Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Platts)

OIL: Canada orders railroads to transition to safer tanker cars within three years while efforts to improve rail safety in the U.S. are ​“bogged down in squabbling and finger-pointing,” and North Dakota awards $5 million in grants to local governments to deal with impacts from the state’s oil boom. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Associated Press, Fargo Forum)

NATURAL GAS: A Wyoming town is evacuated after an explosion at a natural gas processing plant. (Reuters)

ETHANOL: An industry-backed study says ethanol contributes more than $19 billion per year to Iowa’s economy. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

CLIMATE: While Congress has ​“dropped the ball,” cities take action on climate change. (ClimateWire)

NUCLEAR: Activists raise additional questions about the safety of an Ohio nuclear plant. (Toledo Blade)

COMMENTARY: Ohio ratepayers should be vigilant as lawmakers tinker with the state’s energy laws. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)