CLIMATE:
• Youth activists in Minnesota score another victory as a second community in the state adopts a “climate inheritance resolution” that could lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. (Midwest Energy News)
• President Trump could issue a sweeping executive order within days to reverse several of the Obama administration’s climate change policies. (Washington Post)
RENEWABLES: City officials in Madison, Wisconsin move forward with a plan to achieve 100 percent renewable energy and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions; the plan is subject to final approval by the city council. (Madison Capital Times)
***SPONSORED LINK: Stay current on the newest developments in the energy economy by attending the Advancing Renewables in the Midwest Conference this coming April 24th & 25th in Columbia, MO. For registration and details: www.AdvancingRenewables.org.***
PIPELINES:
• A federal judge denies a request for an emergency injunction to stop oil from flowing in the Dakota Access pipeline, saying it would be against the public interest. (Reuters)
• South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signs a law that imposes new penalties to address potential oil pipeline protests. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Officials in Bowling Green, Ohio are optimistic about the production of a recently installed solar project. (Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune)
• U.S. utilities are increasingly looking to move beyond simply contracting for solar generation as they move into the sector themselves. (Utility Dive)
EMISSIONS: President Trump will use Detroit as a stage today to announce the rollback of stringent fuel-economy standards. (New York Times)
COAL: A new book chronicles the history of coal mining in southeast Ohio. (Athens Post)
OIL AND GAS:
• Purdue University researchers find that estimates of methane emissions from natural gas plants may be much lower than projected. (Phys.org)
• A coalition in northwest Ohio negotiates a new deal for natural gas that will reduce residents’ bills over the next two years. (Toledo Blade)
• North Dakota legislators lower the expected revenue target in the state budget in part due to the slumping oil economy. (Associated Press)
• U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt freezes the implementation of updated safety regulations on oil refineries and other industrial facilities to consider an industry coalition’s effort to scrap the rules. (E&E News)
***SPONSORED LINK: The 2nd Grid Modernization Forum, April 3-5 in Chicago, examines key lessons from top utilities including Eversource, Alliant Energy, Con Edison, National Grid, Ameren and many others. Enter MWEN when registering for 20% off.***
INFRASTRUCTURE: Several speakers tell a U.S. Senate committee that electric infrastructure projects, including for renewables, are plagued by lengthy federal reviews. (RTO Insider)
COMMENTARY:
• A union official in Michigan rails against environmental “alarmists” who are calling for the shutdown of an oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. (Detroit News)
• Activist and author Winona LaDuke says Minnesota residents should “take heed” of an aging oil pipeline through the state owned by Enbridge. (Detroit Lakes Online)