CLIMATE: A report released earlier this week finds that soot is a far stronger agent of climate change than previously thought, second only to carbon dioxide. (New York Times)

TRANSMISSION: Advocates, regulators and utilities highlight the need to upgrade Minnesota’s grid. (Finance & Commerce)

POLLUTION: The EPA finalizes rules to reduce pollution from taconite plants in northern Minnesota. (Duluth News Tribune)

ALSO: A study finds drivers and cyclists are equally to blame for car-bike collisions in Minneapolis. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION: At the Detroit auto show, electric vehicles still make a big splash, but even a hologram of Thomas Edison acknowledged “the transition will still take some time.” (Midwest Energy News)

FRAC SAND: Minnesota lawmakers call for a state study of the frac sand industry, with a temporary moratorium on mining activity until it is completed. (Rochester Post-Bulletin)

CLIMATE: Midwest advocates warn of “unpleasant quality of life changes” as the region warms. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: The New York Times profiles a rural Minnesota energy company’s high-efficiency campus.

COAL: Operators of an Illinois coal plant see extensive environmental upgrades as a competitive advantage as other plants shut down. (Chicago Tribune)

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Plus: A report released earlier this week finds that soot is a far stronger agent of climate change than previously thought, second only to carbon dioxide.