OIL & GAS: Ohio officials look to use drones to discover potentially hundreds of previously unidentified abandoned oil and gas wells. (Energy News Network)
EMISSIONS: An administrative law judge rules that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz can move forward with clean vehicle emission standards without legislative approval. (Star Tribune)
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PIPELINES:
• A crucial deadline is this week over Michigan’s attempt to shut down the Line 5 pipeline, which could affect supplies to southern Ontario. (Toronto Star)
• Northern Michigan researchers and local officials weigh the potential harm from a Great Lakes oil spill against Line 5’s fuel supply. (Alpena News)
SOLAR:
• State regulators approve Minnesota Power’s plan to invest $40 million in three new solar projects. (CBS 3)
• Wisconsin solar jobs held steady during 2020 following a recent decline nationally for solar jobs, according to an industry study. (WisBusiness)
• An Ohio Farm Bureau representative says there are a “lot of mixed feelings” among landowners over several planned solar projects. (Country Journal)
• Consumers Energy receives approval to purchase a 150 MW solar project in southeastern Michigan. (Daily Telegram)
EQUITY: Minnesota lawmakers approve $2.5 million in funding for a Minneapolis clean energy job training center. (MinnPost)
OHIO:
• FBI agents say there is “more accountability to be had” in the corruption scandal involving subsidies for FirstEnergy nuclear plants. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Columbus, Ohio, likely has no legal recourse, experts say, and must adopt a controversial clean energy ordinance or put the question before city voters despite campaign finance charges against the organizer and criticism that the measure is too vague. (Columbus Dispatch, subscription)
WIND: A planned 209 MW wind project in North Dakota could also include the state’s first large-scale battery storage facility. (Bismarck Tribune)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Canadian electric vehicle company Lion Electric announces plans to build a $70 million electric bus manufacturing plant in Illinois. (Reuters)
• Ohio legislation would create a statewide electric vehicle commission to identify opportunities for industry growth while also creating a temporary sales tax exemption for electric vehicle production. (Tribune Chronicle)
NUCLEAR: Workers at a southwestern Michigan nuclear plant prepare for their last year on the job as decommissioning is expected to start next year. (South Haven Tribune)
UTILITIES: Alliant Energy reaches an agreement with environmental and consumer advocates to tie future rate increases to cost increases and more than 1,000 MW of new solar generation. (Daily Energy Insider)
COMMENTARY: Illinois should join more than a dozen other states in adopting clean car standards that will help boost electric vehicle adoption and lower emissions, an editorial board says. (Chicago Sun-Times)