WIND: A report last month shows property values in Michigan have jumped since 2008 in areas where the most wind development has taken place, and some analysts say it’s not a coincidence. (Midwest Energy News)
ALSO:
• Elsewhere in the Midwest, wind turbines are helping farmers supplement falling incomes due to decreasing commodity prices. (Mother Jones)
• South Dakota regulators are scheduled to hear arguments in a dispute over the avoided cost of wind generation in several counties in the state. (Watertown Public Opinion)
• Chicago-based Lincoln Clean Energy has a deal to develop a $330 million wind farm in central Texas. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
***SPONSORED LINK: Stay current on the newest developments in the energy economy by attending the Advancing Renewables in the Midwest Conference April 24-25 in Columbia, Missouri. For registration and details: www.AdvancingRenewables.org.***
SOLAR:
• The Indiana House passes a bill to phase out the state’s net metering program, which will likely head to the governor. (Associated Press)
• Advocates say Alliant Energy’s latest proposal in Iowa would scale back distributed generation there. (Midwest Energy News)
• A new report shows Indianapolis is among the top U.S. cities for installed solar capacity. (Mashable)
• Missouri lawmakers are moving closer to passing a bill that would charge monthly fees to customers with solar panels. (Springfield News-Leader)
OHIO:
• During a tour of a new Amazon facility in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich takes the opportunity to criticize lawmakers’ plans to weaken the state’s clean energy standards. (Statehouse News Bureau)
• A retired Ohio State University professor is suing the university over its refusal to disclose the terms of a deal with a French energy company to privatize campus energy services. (Columbus Dispatch)
EMISSIONS: The Ohio Attorney General’s office will continue fighting to overturn the Obama administration’s key air and water rules, but now it will be defending the U.S. EPA’s position. (Midwest Energy News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: For the first time, Tesla surpasses Ford to become the No. 2 U.S. automaker in market value. (MLive)
RENEWABLES: Facebook is planning to build a data center near Omaha, Nebraska that will be powered entirely by wind energy. (Lincoln Journal Star)
PIPELINES: Minnesota regulators will take more time to complete a draft environmental review of Enbridge’s proposed replacement for its aging Line 3 pipeline. (Associated Press)
MICROGRIDS: A National Guard training facility in Michigan is planning to install a demonstration microgrid equipped with solar and storage. (Microgrid Knowledge)
OIL AND GAS:
• A major natural gas cogeneration facility in Michigan plans a $500 million expansion to increase its capacity. (Midland Daily News)
• In an effort to increase reliability, Michigan-based DTE Energy plans to replace 140 miles of aging natural gas pipelines. (The Peninsula)
COAL: The founder of St. Louis-based Foresight Energy resigns as the coal company’s chairman, and a vacancy on the board will be filled by the son of the CEO of Murray Energy. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
COMMENTARY: The Toledo Blade says Ohio Gov. John Kasich must once again step in and veto an attempt to roll back the state’s clean energy standards.