Midwest Energy News

Enbridge leaves debris in Great Lakes for months after pipeline tunnel testing

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Michigan sees increased investment in fast-charging electric vehicle stations, which state officials hope will replicate the experience of stopping for gas. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: General Motors and LG Chem reportedly plan a joint venture to invest $2 billion in an electric vehicle battery plant in Ohio. (Reuters)

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PIPELINES: Enbridge has left drilling debris in the Straits of Mackinac for three months, and won’t recover it until spring, following work related to a potential tunnel for the Line 5 pipeline. (Petoskey News-Review)

CLEAN TECH: Like other utilities across the U.S., the Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska is counting on new technology and declining costs to achieve its net-zero carbon goal.

Midwest Energy News

Wind supporters say Ohio bill is an ‘attack on landowner rights’

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Without incentive programs to shift electric vehicle charging away from peak times, a Minnesota electric cooperative fears infrastructure challenges. (Energy News Network) 

WIND:
• An Ohio bill that would subject wind projects to local votes is an “attack on landowner property rights,” a clean energy business group says. (Toledo Blade)
• South Dakota regulators approve a construction permit for a 155 MW wind project. (Daily Energy Insider)

***SPONSORED LINK: The 4th Annual Smart Cities International Symposium & Exhibition, January 21-22, 2020 in Chicago brings together thought leaders and practitioners from around the world to explore recent advances in making the Smart City a reality. Register today!***

OHIO: FirstEnergy Solutions is optimistic that a law creating subsidies for nuclear and coal plants will be upheld, though opponents continue their referendum effort.

Midwest Energy News

Minnesota seeks to reboot emissions progress with climate panel

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CLIMATE:
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz forms a climate change subcabinet to get the state back on track to meet emission-reduction goals set in 2007. (MPR News)
• Officials in Lafayette, Indiana, plan to start work on a city-wide climate change resolution. (Purdue Exponent)

BIOGAS: Michigan utilities see a growing role for renewable natural gas to displace conventional gas, but relatively high costs remain a barrier to widespread deployment. (Energy News Network)

***SPONSORED LINK: The 4th Annual Smart Cities International Symposium & Exhibition, January 21-22, 2020 in Chicago brings together thought leaders and practitioners from around the world to explore recent advances in making the Smart City a reality. Register today!***

SOLAR:
• Community solar is in a “developmental middle zone” that is past its infancy but not widespread, though projects have taken off in states like Minnesota with favorable policies.

Midwest Energy News

Ohio Supreme Court rejects argument that power plant bailouts are a tax

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OHIO: The Ohio Supreme Court throws out FirstEnergy Solutions’ lawsuit arguing that recent legislation allowing subsidies for nuclear and coal plants can’t be subject to referendum. (Toledo Blade)

EFFICIENCY:
• Customer education could be a barrier for utilities as they roll out time-of-use rates, according to a recent survey. (Energy News Network)
• An Indianapolis office building is the first in the state to achieve the highest LEED certification rating. (Indianapolis Star)

***SPONSORED LINK: The 4th Annual Smart Cities International Symposium & Exhibition, January 21-22, 2020 in Chicago brings together thought leaders and practitioners from around the world to explore recent advances in making the Smart City a reality. Register today!***

WIND: Xcel Energy officials say declining wind energy prices are undercutting more expensive fossil fuel power.

Midwest Energy News

South Dakota regulator expects wind development to give way to solar

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Note to readers: Midwest Energy News is taking a break for the holiday and will return on Monday, Dec. 2. Thank you for reading! RENEWABLES: A South Dakota utility regulator says federal tax credits will drive new wind development in the short term but solar is poised to grow beyond 2020. (Clean Energy Finance Forum)

UTILITIES: University of Iowa officials are set to consider a public-private partnership that would have a private company manage the school’s $100 million utility system.