Too many oil trains in Minnesota?

The controversy over the amount of trains carrying oil on the rails in Minnesota rolled straight through the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday, were lawmakers are asking tough questions about it.

The increasing number of oil shipments from North Dakota is partially blamed for everything from last year's propane shortage to farmers not getting their grain to market. Yet, some experts say the oil shipments can't bear all the blame and it simply comes down to capacity.

Read more at KMSP-TV.

A big economic engine: Fracking and other energy needs driving region’s busy train traffic

The sound of idling train engines became common this winter for some in Caledonia near Union Pacific’s railroad tracks between Highway 38 and Nicholson Road. Residents voiced their concerns to the Caledonia Village Board earlier this month and learned that there was little village officials or even state officials could do about it.

Read more in the Racine (Wisc.) Journal Times.

Report: Minnesota skills gap? Not so much

Companies complaining about a lack of qualified job candidates may be causing their own troubles, if a study out Thursday from state economic development officials is to be believed. . . .  It turned out that the majority of the vacancies - 55 percent - were not difficult to fill.

Read more in Finance & Commerce.

Frac Sand Mining Means More Rail Safety Concerns

A major safety blitz is on in Barron County as demand for frac sand brings a long dormant railroad back to life.

Read or listen to the story at Wisconsin Public Radio.

Study says fracking leads to 20,000 jobs in state

A new study funded by the petroleum industry says Wisconsin firms employ 20,000 people supporting the unconventional oil and gas business - meaning sand mines, largely. The sand from western Wisconsin is used by drilling companies in North Dakota and other states to unlock underground natural gas and oil supplies in a controversial practice called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Read more in the Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel.

Frac sand: The magic mineral

Rural Wisconsin is a mix of woods and water, farmscapes and small towns - a landscape that is central to why so many choose to live here. Frac sand mining is changing the face of this landscape physically, economically, politically and permanently.

Read more in the Hudson Star-Observer.

90 projects submitted for special $47.5 million bonding fund

Mark Phillips, the commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, doesn't sound too excited about having to decide which projects get funded from the Legislature's special bonding pot of money. The fund . . . has attracted a boatload of attention from cities and counties around the state, with 90 projects having a total price tag of $228 million vying for the shot.

Read more in MinnPost.

80,000-ton-a-day copper mine could bring 1,000 jobs to Ely

Twin Metals announced plans last week to develop the 80,000-ton-a-day Nokomis mine and processing plant southeast of Ely. This would be one of the largest private enterprises in state history, writes John Myers of the Duluth News Tribune. It is the largest untapped copper deposit in the world.

Read more in MinnPost.

Construction resumes soon on LRT project

Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter and the word “snow” suddenly is appearing in our weather forecasts, but there are definite signs of spring. One clear indication: the Metropolitan Council announced Wednesday that the second season of heavy construction on the $957-million Central Corridor light-rail transit (LRT) line will begin as soon as March 1.

Read more in MinnPost.

Excessive regulation: Tangled up in green tape

The EPA, Congress, activists, the courts and power companies themselves all share the blame for the chaotic nature of environmental regulation in America.

Read more in The Economist.

North Dakotans find that wealth can come at a cost

The gravel road that borders Dave Hynek's farm is designed to carry 10 tractor-trailers a day. In a recent 24-hour period, about 800 passed by. Some are traveling 90 minutes west to Williston, where school Superintendent Viola LaFontaine expects as many as 3,800 students in the fall, about 57 percent more than her primary schools were built to hold.

North Dakota's economy outpaced every other state in 2011, with the fastest growth in personal income, jobs and home prices, according to Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States. Yet the oil boom fueling the nation's lowest unemployment rate also has a dark side. It's pushing rural North Dakota's housing, electric, water, police and emergency services to the breaking point.

Read more in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Target to expand Brooklyn Park campus by 700,000 square feet

Target Corp. is planning 700,000 square feet of additional space at its Brooklyn Park campus, and intends to quadruple its workforce in the city to 5,200 by 2014, according to environmental review documents posted on the city’s website.

The Minneapolis-based retail giant presently has 561,000 square feet of office space and 130,600 square feet of technical support space located in four office buildings and two technology buildings at its Target North Campus, which sits on 330 acres northeast of U.S. 169 and Highway 610.

Read more in Finance & Commerce.

October construction takes hit

The construction industry lost 20,000 jobs between September and October as the industry’s unemployment rate hit 13.7 percent, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the employment drop reflects continued declines in public sector investments. They added that construction employment could benefit from increased transportation investments and other pro-growth measures designed to boost private sector demand.

Read more in the Pit & Quarry e-newsletter.

Construction overwhelms supply of building materials

The high demand for certain construction materials in western North Dakota is making it difficult for contractors to get supplies. Builders say that could have implications for how quickly new homes get built in Minot and the affordability of that housing.

Minot developer John Coughlin said a shortage exists in construction materials such as gravel, cement, recycled asphalt and riprap.

Read more in Minot Daily News.