EMISSIONS:
• Minnesota is falling further behind on its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets largely because of increased natural gas usage and transportation emissions. (Star Tribune)
• Transportation-related nitrogen dioxide emissions declined markedly in the St. Louis area over the past year during the pandemic, following trends in cities globally. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
POLITICS: Exelon and American Electric Power are among utilities halting political contributions in the wake of last week’s failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (E&E News, subscription)
WIND: Ameren acquires a 300 MW wind project in northwestern Missouri, adding to its growing wind portfolio with recent investments totaling $1.1 billion. (Missourinet)
GRID:
• A Nebraska state senator introduces a bill that would block public power districts from building major transmission projects for two years. (North Platte Telegraph)
• Alliant Energy and ITC Midwest win an emergency response award from the Edison Electric Institute for the companies’ efforts to restore electricity after the August derecho. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Illinois legislation calling for $2 billion in clean energy and climate initiatives in low-income communities of color is part of a growing number of statewide policies to address environmental injustice. (Inside Climate News)
RENEWABLES:
• Several large Kansas City-based companies are helping lead the push for more renewable energy development. (Kansas City Business Journal)
• Wind and solar are poised to supply 70% of new U.S. power plant capacity in 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Greentech Media)
• Southwest Power Pool sets new records for wind and solar output across the grid operator’s footprint. (RTO Insider, subscription)
CLIMATE: Des Moines sets the bar as potentially one of the first cities in the world with a goal of achieving around-the-clock carbon-free electricity. (Inside Climate News)
PIPELINES: Two people accused of chaining themselves together inside a segment of the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota are arrested. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS: Construction is completed on a natural gas processing plant and accompanying 80-mile pipeline in northwestern North Dakota. (Bismarck Tribune)
SOLAR: Conference panelists discuss the growing potential for solar power in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. (Marquette Mining Journal)
NUCLEAR: A glitch involving a generator during refueling and maintenance shuts down an Ameren nuclear plant in eastern Missouri. (KTVI)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tesla is expected to face increasing competition from automakers like Ford that are poised to release new electric vehicle models. (New York Times)