The Energy News Network’s 40 Under 40 is now live! Meet this year’s cohort at energynews.us/40Under40
EMISSIONS: Federal officials attempt to crack down on the use of defeat devices that remove pollution control systems from diesel vehicles, but the equipment remains readily accessible. (Fair Warning)
PIPELINES:
• The GOP-led Minnesota Senate ousts the state’s commerce commissioner after the agency continued legal challenges to the Line 3 pipeline replacement. (Star Tribune)
• A U.S. Coast Guard report shows a barge was inspected twice in the weeks leading up to its dragging an anchor in the Straits of Mackinac that dented the Line 5 pipeline and severed transmission cables. (Detroit News)
***SPONSORED LINK: There’s still time to register for MnSEIA’s virtual Gateway to Solar Conference, Oct. 12-13. The Gateway conference brings together solar practitioners from across the country to connect, make deals, and learn about the future of solar in Minnesota. Sign up today!***
EQUITY: Nearly 70% of low-income households face a high energy burden, which is also disproportionate among racial lines, according to a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. (Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Minnesota agency is finalizing a proposal for electric vehicle incentives, including requirements for manufacturers to deliver a minimum number of EVs to dealers. (Marshall Independent)
SOLAR:
• Indiana’s expected growth in solar power is also an opportunity to help pollinators by planting supporting habitat alongside panels. (Herald Bulletin)
• Two large-scale solar projects are planned in southwestern Indiana that would add 350 MW of new solar capacity. (Inside Indiana Business)
UTILITIES:
• The CEO of an Ohio-based public power agency says consumers — not regulations — are now driving utilities’ shift to clean energy, resilience and sustainability. (Utility Dive)
• A settlement agreement will allow Indiana Michigan Power to file a long-term energy plan late next year that will more closely analyze energy waste reduction opportunities. (Daily Energy Insider)
NUCLEAR: University of Illinois officials are awaiting federal approval for a plan to bring a micro-nuclear reactor to campus. (Daily Illini)
***SPONSORED LINK: The National Solar Tour is going virtual! Sep. 24-Oct. 4. Meet solar owners from around the country. Hear about their experience going solar. Explore new technologies. Learn about solar’s role in energy equity and community empowerment.***
BIOFUELS: President Trump says his administration will help make it easier for consumers to access gasoline with higher blends of ethanol in order to boost demand. (KCCI)
COMMENTARY:
• President Trump’s “allegiances have shifted” as he reportedly directs the U.S. EPA to reject waivers sought by U.S. oil refiners from biofuel blending requirements, an analyst writes. (Forbes)
• Ohio utility regulators should investigate whether ratepayer funds were used to help finance a scheme to bail out uneconomic power plants, an editorial board says. (Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register)