OIL AND GAS:
• Advocates pushing for the permanent closure of Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac say the pipeline is not needed to process propane for residents in the Upper Peninsula. (Midwest Energy News)
• An attorney calls Spectra Energy’s apparent oversight of an Ohio fault line “an astonishing screw-up” that could complicate the company’s efforts to build the NEXUS pipeline there. (Toledo Blade)
SOLAR:
• Despite adding more than 1,000 solar industry jobs in 2016, some company leaders say Ohio’s two-year clean energy “freeze” prevented even more growth. (Midwest Energy News)
• A major community solar project comes online in northern Michigan. (WWTV)
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UTILITIES:
• The CEO of Exelon says 2016 was a “monumental year” for the company as it increased revenue, secured subsidies for struggling nuclear plants and acquired more electric distribution companies. (RTO Insider)
• Ohio regulators say power companies no longer have to notify ratepayers in-person that their power will be shut off. (Columbus Business First)
PIPELINES: The Dakota Access pipeline developer plans to begin work immediately to finish the project. (Associated Press)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Volkswagen is required to spend $2 billion over the next decade to promote and invest in infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles in the United States. (Bloomberg)
MICHIGAN: The chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission says legislation passed at the end of 2016 is “a good final product that’s going to position us to be successful in the future.” (Greening of the Great Lakes)
NUCLEAR: Entergy is said to be exploring options to sell its Michigan-based Palisades plant to a new joint venture created to purchase and decommission nuclear plants. (SNL / Utility Dive)
EFFICIENCY: Donald Trump’s trademark Chicago skyscraper ranks last in the city’s energy benchmarking database. (WTTW)
RENEWABLES: Former President Jimmy Carter says President Trump’s embracing renewable energy could help create millions of jobs. (Associated Press)
CLEAN TECH: An Ohio inventor says he has developed a device that can harness electricity from the flow of fluids and gases through pipelines. (Youngstown Vindicator)
CLIMATE:
• Should a nationwide carbon tax be coupled with a regulatory giveaway? (InsideClimate News)
• Unlocking the potential for fossil fuel projects like Dakota Access and Keystone XL makes it more difficult to achieve emission reduction goals. (Climate Central)
COMMENTARY:
• The leaders of two Midwest philanthropies are “optimistic about advancing sensible energy solutions at the local level” despite changes in Washington D.C. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
• An Upper Peninsula newspaper says a local utility’s plan to boost its solar portfolio is “a very definite step in the right direction.” (Iron Mountain Daily News)