In Minnesota, Goodhue wind farm fight is finally over

WIND: It’s officially over for the controversial Goodhue wind farm in Minnesota, as developers tell state regulators they’re no longer pursuing the project. (Minnesota Public Radio)

FERC: Amid Republican charges that he’s ​“outside the mainstream,” Ron Binz’s nomination to lead FERC is far from a sure thing. Meanwhile, a former Iowa official says he was blocked from nomination to the FERC post for being ​“too pro-coal.” (Politico, E&E Daily)

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COAL: A St. Louis mining company offers to help finance pollution upgrades at Ameren’s five Illinois coal plants -- or buy them outright -- in order to create a market for its coal. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

ALSO: American Electric Power decides to close the fourth unit of an Indiana power plant rather than convert it to natural gas. (Cincinnati Business Courier)

EFFICIENCY: A new report ranks Minneapolis and Chicago as the Midwest’s top cities for energy efficiency, and ​“virtual energy audits” reveal that behavioral changes can reap big savings in commercial buildings. (ACEEE, Greentech Media)

NATURAL GAS: Two companies team up to pipe North Dakota natural gas to Chicago; a Wisconsin utility names two possible sites for a new power plant; and at an Ohio event, former Energy Secretary Steven Chu says ​“you can have your cake and eat it too” when it comes to natural gas. (Associated Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Columbus Dispatch)

ELECTRIC CARS: GM hopes to out-innovate Tesla on electric cars by developing a better battery, with the ultimate goal of producing a relatively inexpensive car that can go 200 miles on a charge; and amid the usual field of sleek single-occupant racers, a solar car challenge in Australia this year will feature a four-door sedan. (Quartz, Electric Vehicle News)

***SPONSORED LINK: On September 24, join Shayle Kann, vice president of research for Greentech Media, and a panel of experts at the Science Museum of Minnesota for Power Breakfast: Solar means business in Minnesota. Buy your tickets today! ***

FRAC SAND: Officials in Minnesota will soon approve new standards to regulate frac sand mining, but it’s unclear how much legal heft the rules will have. (Minnesota Public Radio)

COMMENTARY: What FERC actually does, and why it doesn’t really have anything to do with the so-called ​“war on coal.” (NRDC Switchboard)