WIND:
• Michigan legislation would create a uniform schedule for the depreciating value of wind turbines, which aims to provide certainty to local governments that depend on the developments for tax revenue. (MiBiz)
• South Dakota regulators approve a developer’s decommissioning plan for a large-scale wind development. (KELO)
POWER PLANTS: Minnesota Power sells 30% of its stake in a planned $700 million natural gas plant to a North Dakota electricity wholesaler, but it will keep 20% and continue to lead construction and operation. (Star Tribune)
SOLAR: American Electric Power and the city of Columbus announce plans to purchase all of the power from a 50 MW solar project being developed on a former landfill. (Columbus Dispatch)
GRID: A Wisconsin generator manufacturer plans to invest $53 million and add 700 jobs following a spike in demand from storm-related power outages and concerns about grid reliability. (Journal Sentinel)
PIPELINES:
• The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a petition this session by Dakota Access pipeline operators who dispute a lower court’s finding that the project needs further environmental review. (Bloomberg Law)
• TC Energy formally drops its effort to acquire easements through eminent domain proceedings for the now-terminated Keystone XL pipeline. (Norfolk Daily News)
HYDROELECTRIC: A Cincinnati startup develops a hydroelectric prototype that is “aesthetically invisible” and maximizes the efficiency of producing power from rivers. (Centered)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A northern Michigan community considers partnerships that could bring public charging stations to downtown areas. (Cheboygan Daily Tribune)
• Michigan’s top economic development official says the state was “not actively involved” in a bid to land Ford’s multi-billion-dollar electric vehicle battery manufacturing campuses that will be built in Kentucky and Tennessee. (Crain’s Detroit Business)
CLEANTECH: Minneapolis officials approve a $2 million loan for a nonprofit developing an energy district that uses an underground aquifer as a thermal battery to heat apartment buildings. (Minnesota Daily)
NUCLEAR: Several states are re-examining the role of existing nuclear power plants and providing incentives as clean energy providers. (Utility Dive)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• The University of Michigan receives a nearly $112,000 state grant to identify opportunities for clean energy technology development. (MLive)
• Indiana shows clean energy job potential after recovering nearly half of the jobs that were lost because of the pandemic by the end of last year. (Inside Indiana Business)
BIOFUELS: Iowa lawmakers are united in their opposition to lowering federal biofuel blending requirements amid reports that President Biden is considering rolling them back as gasoline demand drops. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
COMMENTARY: The Blue Green Alliance forms an Iowa chapter of environmental and labor officials to encourage “labor practices that make Iowa’s clean energy jobs good jobs.” (Cedar Rapids Gazette)