CLIMATE: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sets a more aggressive goal to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 amid a series of climate change proposals. (Star Tribune)
ALSO: Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown backs President Biden’s early climate change orders, saying Ohio residents will benefit by expanding clean energy jobs. (WTRF)
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SOLAR:
• A first-of-its-kind “renter equity” development in Detroit includes a community solar component to lessen renters’ utility burden. (Energy News Network)
• Minnesota regulators fine Xcel Energy $1 million for delays in connecting solar projects to the grid. (Star Tribune)
• Plans for a 100 MW solar project in southern Ohio receive more support than opposition during a public hearing this week. (Times-Gazette)
• Alliant Energy acquires a 100 MW solar project in southeastern Wisconsin. (Daily Energy Insider)
PIPELINES:
• Top North Dakota Republicans want President Biden to reconsider his decision to revoke the Keystone XL pipeline permit. (Associated Press)
• Keystone XL developer TC Energy still has strong appeal for investors as the canceled pipeline would indirectly benefit the company’s natural gas and nuclear segments, experts say. (S&P Global)
• Facing questions from Senate lawmakers over the canceled Keystone XL permit, Secretary of Transportation nominee Pute Buttigieg says the Biden administration plans to create more clean energy jobs overall. (E&E News, subscription)
POWER PLANTS: The Michigan Court of Appeals rules that state officials granted an air permit for a planned $1 billion natural gas plant without performing an ozone pollution analysis. (Port Huron Times Herald)
POLICY: Illinois is among a few states that may be poised to pass major statewide clean energy legislation as prospects for a sweeping federal bill remain slim. (Inside Climate News)
OIL & GAS: Public concern is growing over plans for a southeastern Ohio natural gas storage facility that would support a proposed ethane cracker plant. (WTOV)
WIND:
• Michigan researchers lead a study of four Midwestern states to help determine what drives local opposition and support for wind projects. (Grist)
• County officials around Lincoln, Nebraska, are yet to reach agreement on proposed wind energy regulations. (Lincoln Journal Star)
BIOFUELS:
• Iowa ethanol production dropped 12% in 2020 based on a drop in demand during the pandemic and biofuel blending exemptions. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley calls the Trump administration’s last-minute granting of biofuel waivers to oil refiners a “disgrace to the biofuels community.” (Radio Iowa)
COMMENTARY: President Biden’s move to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline is a major victory for the climate, but additional pipeline battles remain, says author and activist Bill McKibben. (New Yorker)