Here are some of the highlights from this week’s Midwest Energy news.

EPA: Lisa Jackson says the agency will press ahead with greenhouse gas emissions rules, despite announcing they’d miss an upcoming deadline. (The Hill)

SOLYNDRA: An Energy Department official says the White House has no intention of “walking away” from renewable energy investment following the Solyndra bankruptcy. (Reuters)

KEYSTONE XL: The University of Nebraska has ended a sponsorship agreement with TransCanada after football fans booed the company’s “Husker Pipeline” video at Memorial Stadium. (Lincoln Journal Star)

POLLUTION: Wichita, Kansas, announces a marketing campaign to urge voluntary measures to help bring the city into compliance with EPA smog standards. (Wichita Eagle)

‘GREEN’ FLAG: While there’s nothing particularly environmentally friendly about driving cars around in circles for 500 miles, Nascar is embarking on an ambitious set of green initiatives, including planting trees to offset emissions and using sheep to mow infield grass at tracks. (New York Times)

COMMENTARY: Don Shelby attempts to reason with a Tea Party leader on climate science. (MinnPost)

MIDWEST ENERGY NEWS ORIGINAL: Despite rapid growth in the ranks of Minneapolis bike commuters, city officials still face backlash for hiring a bike/pedestrian coordinator amid a tight budget.

‘CLEAN COAL’: Backers of the long-stalled Mesaba Energy Project in Minnesota have spent nearly $1.8 million on lobbying and campaign contributions. (Duluth News Tribune)

HIGHWIRE: Like a beacon in the dark, the Cleveland Plain Dealer gets the light-bulb story right.

Highlights from this week's Midwest Energy News include the Keystone XL pipeline and football, NASCAR and sheep, and climate science and the Tea Party.