EMISSIONS: On the final day of Minnesota’s regular legislative session, unanswered questions include how far Republicans will go to try to block or delay Gov. Tim Walz’s plan to adopt statewide clean car standards. (MinnPost)
PIPELINES:
• Hundreds of tribal and environmental activists serve a symbolic “eviction notice” at an Enbridge pumping station after the company ignored a state-ordered shut down of Line 5. (Energy News Network)
• The continued operation and security of pipelines were a central theme at a North Dakota oil and gas conference last week. (Williston Herald)
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SOLAR:
• The outgoing leader of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association saw strong industry growth and statewide policy support over the past eight years. (Energy News Network)
• Township officials in southwestern Michigan approve a 180-day moratorium on solar development as it considers a local land use ordinance. (Three Rivers Commercial News)
• Developers propose a 200 MW, $175 million solar project in southeastern Missouri. (Southeast Missourian)
• A project formed in 2019 aims to assist houses of worship and nonprofits with solar installation costs. (MLive)
OIL & GAS:
• A $1.6 billion natural gas power plant in eastern Ohio is expected to be operational by the end of 2022. (Daily Jeffersonian)
• North Dakota officials say the state’s crude oil production grew in March and is expected to keep rising through the summer. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: The operator of a Wisconsin nuclear plant will present plans for ensuring reactors can be cooled in the event of a major accident and in compliance with federal regulators. (Wisconsin State Journal)
CLEAN ENERGY: An Ameren Missouri executive discusses the need for “diverse energy resources” and balancing clean energy development with reliability. (St. Louis Public Radio)
WIND: Township officials in mid-Michigan consider a six-month moratorium on wind projects as a developer pursues a project there. (Greenville Daily News)
STORAGE: Battery storage emerges as the latest technology to compete with natural gas plants as storage and wind and solar prices drop. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Illinois seeks to be a leader in electric bus deployment and manufacturing, though school districts still face steep prices for the vehicles. (Daily Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says in an op-ed that Line 5 is a “ticking time bomb” that should immediately be closed in the Straits of Mackinac. (Washington Post)
• Business advocates maintain that shutting down Line 5 without a backup plan would cause a regional energy emergency, an editorial board says. (Crain’s Detroit Business)
• A former Michigan energy regulator says state lawmakers should abandon plans to reform distributed generation programs in a way that could result in cost shifts to low-income customers. (Lansing State Journal)
• Proposed Minnesota legislation could help solar developers pursue projects in rural areas while balancing the interest of farmland preservation advocates, energy attorneys say. (PV Magazine)