PIPELINES: Minnesota regulators deny a request to halt construction on the Line 3 pipeline. (Star Tribune)
OHIO:
• Gov. Mike DeWine considers a replacement for former Public Utilities Commission Chairman Sam Randazzo. (Cleveland.com)
• FirstEnergy has “returned to its regulated roots, but getting here has produced a lot of baggage for it to tow.” (Crain’s Cleveland Business)
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SOLAR:
• County officials approve a 75 MW solar project in southeastern Wisconsin. (Daily Reporter)
• Illinois’ solar industry is in limbo as state regulators allow retail net metering to continue in Ameren’s territory but questions remain about funding for the state’s solar program. (E&E News, subscription)
NUCLEAR: A trade group says Exelon’s plan to close a northern Illinois nuclear plant would “devastate the local economy.” (WREX)
COAL: The fate of a power line connected to a large coal plant scheduled to close in 2022 in North Dakota is still undetermined. (Star Tribune)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Roughly 150 Cadillac dealerships are choosing to take buyouts from General Motors instead of investing thousands of dollars to support electric vehicles. (Detroit News)
EFFICIENCY: A federal lawmaker says appliance energy efficiency standards will be a “top priority” under the incoming Biden administration. (Utility Dive)
CLIMATE: Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is a front-runner to lead the incoming Biden Administration’s domestic climate policy. (E&E News, subscription)
UTILITIES:
• A board member of Lincoln, Nebraska’s utility says “setting a zero-carbon goal was the right thing to do to ensure our community is prepared for the future.” (Lincoln Journal Star)
• Alliant Energy’s renewable energy portfolio in Iowa in 2019 was 26.5%, up 9.9% from the year before. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Former North Dakota state Sen. Tony Grindberg will take over as principal leader for the state for Xcel Energy next year. (Inforum)
COMMENTARY:
• “Clean energy is preserving” jobs for future generations on Minnesota’s Iron Range, says a former adviser with the U.S. Department of Energy. (MinnPost)
• A Republican state lawmaker in Michigan says there’s “certainly much to lose” by closing the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. (Bridge Michigan)