TRANSMISSION: A Missouri bill that would essentially block developers from using eminent domain for the Grain Belt Express wind energy transmission project advances for a full state House vote. (Energy News Network)
SOLAR: A 40 MW solar project is proposed on an island in the Ohio River between West Virginia and Ohio. (Herald-Star)
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RENEWABLES:
• Indiana utility NIPSCO says bids for wind and solar have come in “significantly less expensive than new gas-fired generation.” (PV Magazine)
• Germany’s 20-year clean energy transition that has included missteps along the way can provide critical lessons for the U.S.. (InsideClimate News)
COAL:
• Environmental groups call for a more comprehensive cleanup plan for a coal ash storage site in northwestern Indiana. (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
• Peabody Energy posts a weak first quarter with losses of nearly $130 million compared to a profit during the same period last year. (Mining Journal)
OIL & GAS: North Dakota regulators will hear testimony next month on whether oil production at current low prices amounts to wasting natural resources, potentially setting the stage for output restrictions. (S&P Global)
PIPELINES: In a lawsuit over the Keystone XL pipeline, tribes warn that construction crews are flouting the developer’s COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. (E&E News, subscription)
WIND: Technicians are still trying to determine the cause of a broken wind turbine blade in central Kansas. (Pratt Tribune)
BIOFUELS: A drop in ethanol demand that slowed production at Iowa plants caused a shortage of carbon dioxide used in the water treatment process. (Des Moines Register)
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NUCLEAR: A federal licensing board grants a hearing for an activist group to share its concerns about spent fuel at a southeastern Michigan nuclear plant. (Toledo Blade)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors delays the unveiling of its new Hummer electric pick-up truck due to the pandemic. (CNET)