SOLAR: The Indiana legislature signs off on a bill to phase out the state’s net metering program, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• A Minnesota county agrees to a 25-year deal to buy its electricity from a nearby 30-acre solar garden. (Winona Post)
• A Minnesota incentive program helped a Minneapolis brewery install solar panels on its roof. (Finance & Commerce)
• Eastern Michigan farmers learn about the benefits of installing solar on their property to hedge against uncertain fossil fuel costs. (Huron Daily Tribune)
• A large Michigan greenhouse opens a new solar project onsite. (WZZM-TV)
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EFFICIENCY:
• A Chicago realty group adds “smart” energy efficiency retrofits to an iconic building in the city’s skyline that avoided a costly replacement of existing mechanical systems. (Midwest Energy News)
• A former Trump administration transition official says the energy efficiency industry “had a good run” and that it’s time to rebalance federal funding to the sector with that of “clean coal” and nuclear research. (RTO Insider)
NUCLEAR: The Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center seeks to intervene in a lawsuit against the state’s zero-emissions credits for nuclear plants, saying the case could also threaten renewable energy standards. (Cook County Record)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tesla has now passed General Motors to become the largest U.S. automaker based on market capitalization. (AFP)
EMISSIONS: For the second year in a row, carbon emissions from the U.S. electricity sector fell by about 5 percent. (Climate Central)
CARBON CAPTURE: Operations have begun on a plan to inject and permanently store more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year deep underneath part of Decatur, Illinois. (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)
CYBERSECURITY: A new survey of more than 600 U.S. utility officials shows “cyber and physical security” are the most pressing concerns among their companies. (Utility Dive)
GEOTHERMAL: A Greater Cincinnati-based clean energy company opens a geothermal division to meet growing customer demand. (Cincinnati Business Courier)
COMMENTARY:
• A clean energy advocate says as Michigan utilities continue to close coal plants, “market forces will continue to favor renewable energy, especially wind power.” (Detroit News)
• A South Dakota farmer and wind energy advocate says the state should tap into its wind resources to bring more economic development. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)
• The American Bird Conservancy says placing wind turbines in and around the Great Lakes would come at too great of a cost for wildlife. (Chicago Tribune)