ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ford will reorganize its electric vehicle and internal combustion businesses into separate units within the company in an effort to streamline EV production and maximize profits. (CNBC)
ALSO: General Motors sells its stake in electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors, which recently posted a fourth-quarter loss. (Reuters)
CARBON CAPTURE: North Dakota’s largest oil driller, Continental Resources, will invest $250 million to help fund a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would capture emissions from Midwest ethanol plants. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Ameren Illinois breaks ground on a $10.2 million solar project in a long-polluted area of East St. Louis surrounded by heavy industry. (St. Louis Public Radio)
• Residents get a first look at a developer’s plans for a 400 MW solar project north of Madison, Wisconsin. (WiscNews)
• A Nebraska city considers contracting for solar power as a way to offset potential electricity cost increases. (Sidney Sun-Telegraph)
HYDROELECTRIC: The state of Michigan is suing the owners of a hydroelectric dam that released large amounts of sediment into the Kalamazoo River through a surprise drawdown that the state has called an “environmental disaster.” (MLive)
BIOFUELS: A lawsuit that the state of Nebraska filed a year ago against a polluting ethanol plant is proceeding slowly and could become far more complicated if the company declares bankruptcy, experts say. (Nebraska Public Media)
UTILITIES:
• Kansas City utility Evergy says it has reached a renewable energy generation milestone that has produced a 51% drop in carbon emissions. (KMBC)
• Consumer advocates ask Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to extend a winter utility disconnection moratorium by at least three months to allow time for bill assistance to be processed and avoid shutoffs. (WEHT)
CLIMATE: Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s 2050 carbon neutral target includes a focus on decarbonizing buildings and a zero-emissions city transportation fleet by 2035. (Sioux Falls Simplified)
OIL & GAS: CenterPoint Energy this spring will start replacing natural gas pipelines beneath the Minnesota River and nearby wetlands. (Southwest News Media)
EFFICIENCY: Indiana Michigan Power will replace 9,000 streetlights in South Bend with LEDs to improve visibility, save money and reduce emissions. (WVPE)
COMMENTARY:
• To capture cost and public health benefits, Minnesota needs a comprehensive plan to transition to electric buses, a climate activist writes. (Minnesota Reformer)
• A political organizer says Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost can and should start corporate charter revocation proceedings against FirstEnergy, which would dissolve the company. (Ohio Capital Journal)