WIND:
• Proposed legislation in South Dakota would spread tax revenue from wind projects across the entire state instead of just local communities, diminishing a key selling point to landowners. (Midwest Energy News)
• Chicago-based Invenergy sets its sights on a roughly 200-megawatt wind project in central Illinois. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
SOLAR:
• The Minnesota attorney general is receiving a wave of complaints over an increasing number of solar garden offers and also from community solar subscribers who “worry they have been ripped off.” (Minnesota Public Radio)
• Government agencies in the Twin Cities join to issue competitive bids for up to 50 megawatts worth of community solar projects. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Multiple community solar projects are being planned in two southern Minnesota counties. (Faribault Daily News)
*** SPONSORED LINK: Solar Powering Iowa, March 23-24 in Cedar Rapids will be packed with an energizing mix of pre-conference trainings, keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking. Register today!***
PIPELINES:
• Against the developer’s objections, Iowa regulators will allow new evidence — including a series of news stories — to be presented in the case for the Bakken Pipeline project. (The Gazette)
• Marathon begins work on installing a replacement oil pipeline beneath a river in southeast Michigan. (Associated Press)
EMISSIONS: The U.S. EPA warns Illinois officials about negative impacts to air quality after the state announced it will temporarily allow license plate renewals without emissions tests. (Associated Press)
COAL: An energy company claims the city of Springfield, Illinois isn’t considering enough options for a new power-purchase agreement. (Fox Illinois)
OIL AND GAS:
• A day after being charged with breaking federal antitrust laws, former Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon dies in a car crash. (Politico)
• McClendon’s death clouds the future of a controversial high-end housing development overlooking Lake Michigan. (MLive)
SUPREME COURT:
• A potential Obama Supreme Court nominee has a history of dealing with a variety of energy and conservation cases. (Greenwire)
• A White House senior advisor who helped negotiate the Paris climate accord is leading the team responsible for filling the Supreme Court vacancy. (ClimateWire)
*** SPONSORED LINK: The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries during Women’s History Month. See interviews here.***
NUCLEAR: Two plants near Toledo, Ohio are operating at limited capacity due to repairs and maintenance. (Toledo Blade)
COMMENTARY: The Sierra Club says proposed federal legislation would endanger communities by blocking long-awaited coal-ash safeguards. (Huffington Post)