Warren Buffet remains bullish on renewable energy

UTILITIES: Why Warren Buffet is investing billions in renewable energy. (Wall Street Journal)

ALSO: Utilities and clean energy advocates find some common ground on distributed generation. (Greentech Media)

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SMART GRID: Illinois nonprofits target ​“hard to reach populations” to help them understand how they can fully benefit from smart meters. (Midwest Energy News)

OIL: Critics say records show railroads are favoring the oil industry. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

FRACKING: An industry conference discusses earthquakes: ​“we’re not saying it isn’t related to oil and gas, and we’re not saying it is.” (Columbus Business First)

MICHIGAN: A report finds Michigan’s renewable energy investments, predominantly wind, will top $3.5 billion by next year. (MLive)

OHIO: Despite a ​“freeze” to the state’s renewable energy standard, FirstEnergy is seeking to buy thousands of renewable energy credits. (Crain’s Cleveland Business)

COAL: North Dakota officials approve the state’s first new coal mine since the 1970s, and Prairie State hires a new CEO. (Forum News Service, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

TRANSMISSION: Illinois regulators approve a new transmission line that is expected to cut carbon emissions by 473,000 tons over 15 years by improving access to clean energy. (Platts)

SOLAR: An Illinois school begins work on a $1.8 million solar array. (Peoria Journal Star)

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TRANSPORTATION: A poll finds Americans prefer expanding transit over building new roads. (Streetsblog)

COMMENTARY: Utility executives call for an end to wind tax credits, and why ​“coal is king of corporate welfare in Illinois.” (Forbes, Huffington Post)