EQUITY: People of color are more at risk of utility disconnections, add-on utility fees and inefficient housing, yet Ohio regulators and utilities aren’t collecting data on whether these disparities are widening. (Energy News Network)
HOUSING: An energy-efficient, affordable housing development in Chicago moves forward despite the loss of architect Michael Sorkin to COVID-19, who had forged a partnership with the local nonprofit Blacks in Green. (Energy News Network)
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PIPELINES:
• Enbridge argues in court that federal regulators — not the state of Michigan — have the authority to close the Line 5 pipeline. (Detroit Free Press)
• The Michigan Public Service Commission denies Enbridge’s request for expedited approval of a plan to build a tunnel for the pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. (Bridge Magazine)
MICROGRIDS: A planned microgrid project could help anchor a clean energy job training center in an underserved and racially diverse Minneapolis neighborhood. (Energy News Network)
OIL & GAS: The North Dakota Supreme Court sides with state regulators that issued a permit for a proposed oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (Bismarck Tribune)
POLICY: U.S. House Democrats unveil a sweeping climate change plan that includes requiring utilities to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and automakers to produce only electric vehicles by 2035. (Washington Post)
SOLAR: Major solar projects play lead roles in two Minnesota utilities’ plans to boost investments to help jumpstart economic activity after the pandemic. (MinnPost)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A panel issues a statewide strategy for electric vehicle charging in Ohio that includes having charging stations available every 50 miles of interstate. (WKBN)
• MidAmerican Energy installs the first electric vehicle fast-charging station in its network in northeastern Iowa. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
GRID: MISO will expand research on transmission capacity needs in the Upper Midwest after utilities behind the CapX2050 study seek to make transmission a priority in the region. (RTO Insider)
BIOFUELS: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs a bill lowering the state tax on gasoline blended with ethanol, which she said is good for consumers, farmers and the biofuels industry. (Radio Iowa)
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RENEWABLES: Facebook plans to build an $800 million data center in northern Illinois that will be powered by 100% renewable energy. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: The director of the Wisconsin chapter of the Sierra Club calls for the state to permanently shut down Line 5 as environmental groups and tribes make similar demands in Michigan. (Wisconsin Examiner)