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Shuttered Hastings ethanol plant closing permanent May 18, 2013 HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A Hastings ethanol plant that announced in February that it would temporarily shut down will not reopen. The Ag Processing Inc. cooperative said Friday that it is permanently shutting down the 55-million-gallon-a-year plant, citing the plant's age and high utility costs associated with... Read More

Ill. lawmakers face tough votes before adjourning May 18, 2013 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois General Assembly has just two weeks left in Springfield before it adjourns for the summer, leaving lawmakers with a tight deadline for action on issues including tackling the state's pension crisis, gay marriage and how guns will be allowed to be carried in public. Making... Read More

Gas prices on pace for all-time highs in ND, SD May 18, 2013 FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Gas prices in the Dakotas are poised to reach all-time highs. AAA North Dakota officials say the statewide average record of $4.08 a gallon is likely to be broken in the next couple of days. The average price in the state Friday was $3.98, with some stations charging as much as $4.29. Another... Read More

Time waning for Okla. lawmakers to tackle credits May 18, 2013 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Despite calls by several Oklahoma legislators to address hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax credits and exemptions for businesses and industries, little has been done as another session approaches its end. And at the same time, other legislators are trying to write even more tax... Read More

Mich. customers oppose fees to refuse power meters May 18, 2013 LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A small but outspoken group of residential customers vows to continue battling Michigan's largest utility company over the freedom to opt out of having "smart" meters installed outside their homes. State regulators' days-old decision to approve an opt-out provision — if residents pay $67... Read More

Politics, bribery charges swirl around Ugandan oil May 18, 2013 KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.... Read More

Soaring gasoline prices hurt Oklahoma City area retailers

May 18, 2013 Gasoline price jumps are difficult for Oklahoma gasoline retailers and convenience store owners because they tighten margins and make customers angry. Read More

Oklahoma Attorney General asks to delay hearing into PSO plan for regional haze May 18, 2013 Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said more information is needed about future electricity demand at Public Service Co. of Oklahoma before a compliance plan to deal with regional haze is decided by state environmental officials. A public hearing into the plan will go ahead Monday. Read More

APNewsBreak: OSHA rules for Kansas whistleblower May 17, 2013 WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal regulators have ruled in favor of an engineer fired for reporting unsafe conditions created by a contractor at a nuclear power plant in eastern Kansas, his attorneys said Friday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also found Enercon Services, of Kennesaw, Ga.,... Read More

Nebraska nuke plant hopes to restart by June 30 May 17, 2013 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The utility that owns the troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in eastern Nebraska says it hopes to have the plant ready to operate by summer, even as federal regulators reported Friday it still has hundreds of issues to correct before it can reopen. Last month, Omaha Public Power... Read More

Sponsor: Still work to do on campaign finance bill May 17, 2013 Alabama lawmakers will likely spend part of the annual session's final day debating possible changes to campaign finance law, including a major shift in contribution rules for corporations and utilities. House Republicans want to make two fundamental changes in how money flows in Alabama campaigns. They want to... Read More

Business Highlights May 17, 2013 ___ A year after IPO, Facebook aims to be ad colossus NEW YORK (AP) — It was supposed to be our IPO, the people's public offering. Facebook, the brainchild of a young CEO who sauntered into Wall Street meetings in a hoodie, was going to be bigger than Amazon, bigger than McDonald's, bigger than Coca-Cola. And... Read More

BC-Markets-At-A-Glance May 17, 2013 NEW YORK (AP) — A snapshot of major stock and commodities market indicators Friday: 2,207 advances, 836 declines Most Active: Bk of Amer 13.43 +0.07 Comp Sales: 3,377,303,733 Arca Comp Sales: 907,311,065 1,708 advances, 751 declines Most Active: Cisco Sys 24.24 +0.353 Nasdaq Sales: 1,760,243,240 DJ... Read More

Wind energy permitting process among new NC laws May 17, 2013 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Pat McCrory says a new law laying out rules for building wind farms in North Carolina will help create a diverse supply of energy for the state and boost the economy. McCrory announced he signed five bills into law Friday, among them the measure creating a framework for a new required... Read More

Oil rises above $96 on encouraging economic news May 17, 2013 NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose to $96 a barrel on Friday on hopes that a steady recovery in the U.S. economy could boost fuel use. Benchmark oil for June delivery rose 86 cents to close at $96.02 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But even with three straight days of gains, oil finished the... Read More

BLM studies impact of northwestern Ariz. wind farm May 17, 2013 KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is favoring a scaled-back version of a wind farm in Mohave County. BP Wind Energy North America had proposed building 283 wind turbines on BLM and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation land that could produce up to 500 megawatts of electricity. The BLM released a... Read More

ND delegation opposes proposed fracking rule May 17, 2013 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's congressional delegation doesn't like a proposed new rule that would require energy companies on federal lands to publicly disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Fracking involves pumping water, sand and chemicals underground to break open rocks and allow oil and... Read More

Shale drilling boosts Ohio gas and oil output

May 17, 2013 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Officials say drilling in Ohio's Utica shale region nearly doubled the output of oil and natural gas there since 2011, although some industry experts remain cautious about the long-term potential for production. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that the drilling... Read More

Xcel Energy proposes power plants in southeast ND May 17, 2013 FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Xcel Energy is proposing two natural gas-fired power plants in southeastern North Dakota to help meet electricity needs during times of peak demand in the upper Midwest in coming years. The plants would be built near Hankinson, about 70 miles south of Fargo, if they are approved by regulators.... Read More

Gas prices headed for a record in North Dakota May 17, 2013 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Gasoline prices are on the rise and headed to a record in North Dakota. The average price of gas in the state could reach $4.15 per gallon in the coming days, breaking the July 2008 record of $4.08, according to North Dakota AAA spokesman Gene LaDoucer. Several large refineries that feed... Read More