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January 10 News: Drought Could Cause The Chicago River To Reverse, Spilling Sewage Into Lake Michigan

Water levels on Lake Michigan are the lowest in recorded history. If the level continues to drop, the Chicago River could reverse itself and send untreated sewage into Lake Michigan. [ABC 7 News]

Federal officials declared a disaster area Wednesday for the entire state of Oklahoma, along with parts of 13 other drought-stricken states stretching almost coast to coast. [Tulsa World]

As she prepares to step down from her position as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson said she is proudest of presiding over the landmark finding that climate-changing greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. [USA Today]

The United States isn’t quite as reliant on foreign oil as it used to be. Imports of crude oil and other petroleum products are on pace to drop to 6 million barrels per day by 2014, according to new forecasts by the Energy Information Administration. [Wonk Blog]

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Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has finalized his committee staff, his office announced Wednesday. [The Hill]

On Wednesday, the chief executive of MiaSolé, one of the most promising Silicon Valley solar start-ups, appeared in Beijing for the announcement that Hanergy Holding Group of China had completed the purchase of his company and its technology for a fraction of what investors had put in. [New York Times]

The pillar of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s energy plan — a 730-mile line called the Northern Gateway that would carry crude from landlocked Alberta to the Pacific port of Kitimat — is mired in political and public opposition, focused in the province of British Columbia. [Wall Street Journal]

Lifeboats from an oil rig that was temporarily grounded on a small island in southern Alaska may have leaked as much as 272 gallons of diesel fuel into pristine waters along the shoreline, but that cannot be determined until a full inspection is completed, U.S. Coast Guard officials said. [Los Angeles Times]

Wind in the Americas has tremendous opportunity for growth, particularly in Latin America. By 2025, the region is expected to reach 46 GW of total installed wind capacity, according to a new IHS Emerging Energy Research study. [Renewable Energy World]

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Google, which closed a $200 million investment in the 161-megawatt Spinning Spur Wind Project near Amarillo, Texas in late December, has now enabled more than two gigawatts of low-carbon energy to come online. [Atlantic]