ELECTRIFICATION: Indiana is expected to vote this week on a bill that would block local governments from prohibiting natural gas hookups for home heating in new construction. (Energy News Network) 

CLIMATE: Lincoln, Nebraska’s mayor identifies about 20 strategies from its climate action plan that could be accomplished in the next six years. (Lincoln Journal Star)

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STORAGE: The U.S. Department of Energy announces a $1 million partnership with Youngstown State University in Ohio to develop an energy storage workforce innovation center. (The Vindicator)

SOLAR:
• An Indiana elementary school is the latest in the state to use solar panels and energy efficiency to virtually eliminate its electricity bills. (South Bend Tribune)
• Construction is set for late spring on a 1.4 megawatt community solar project in southern Minnesota limited to 150 subscribers. (Le Sueur County News)
• A city-owned industrial park in Mankato, Minnesota, is slated to become an 80-acre community solar project. (Mankato Free Press)

WIND: An Iowa county board of supervisors approves a permit for three wind turbines after Con Edison agreed to drop a request for variances. (Manchester Press) 

OIL & GAS: A rural Ohio couple’s life is disrupted by a natural gas power plant being built next door, bringing constant noise, dust and big trucks. (WKSU)

PIPELINES: Indigenous leaders and environmentalists urge President Biden to cancel the Dakota Access pipeline and other fossil fuel projects. (The Guardian)

BIOFUELS: A federal appeals court orders the U.S. EPA to hold off on awarding three biofuel waivers issued to refineries in the final hours of the Trump administration until the court can review them. (Biofuels Digest)

EFFICIENCY:
• A century-old house in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is updated and now produces more energy from solar and geothermal than it uses. (Yale Climate Connections)
• A Kansas healthcare organization is recognized for its energy conservation efforts, including converting over 8,200 fixtures to LED lighting. (Hays Post)

COMMENTARY:
• A former state utility regulator says a recent climate report shows Minnesota is failing to make enough progress toward its emission goals. (Star Tribune)
• A political science student and professor call on Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to outline a plan for responding to climate change in the state. (Kansas City Star)
• An editorial board calls on Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint a state utility regulator who does not have financial ties to the industry. (Columbus Dispatch)

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Dan Haugen

Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.