POWER PLANTS: A Minnesota agency says three Xcel Energy peaker plants that were down for repairs or inspections during last February’s historic winter storm caused tens of millions of dollars in added costs that shouldn’t be paid by ratepayers. (Star Tribune)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The ongoing Chevrolet Bolt recall that stemmed from batteries catching fire is a reminder of the key manufacturing obstacles that automakers face in the transition to electric vehicles. (Washington Post)
• Michigan utility regulators approve special industrial electric rates meant to help lure new electric vehicle and battery manufacturing plants. (MiBiz)
• Though Ohio lags behind states its size on electric vehicle adoption, industry experts are planning for an inevitable shift among consumers. (Cleveland.com)
NUCLEAR: Xcel Energy seeks permission from state regulators to change the way it stores radioactive waste at its Prairie Island nuclear plant in Minnesota. (MPR News)
GRID:
• Rural Minnesota during the 1970s was the site of a major transmission line construction dispute, which researchers say can inform current debates over the need to build more projects. (InsideClimate News)
• Black Hills Energy will soon begin to move some overhead power lines underground in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. (Rapid City Journal)
WIND:
• An Iowa wind turbine manufacturer shut down operations late last week, resulting in the loss of about 700 jobs. (KCCI)
• North Dakota regulators narrowly approve a wind turbine decommissioning plan that one critic says could cause environmental damage. (Bismarck Tribune)
CLEAN ENERGY: A sustainable housing development in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will be one of the country’s first mixed-income, net-zero energy communities. (Grist)
PIPELINES:
• A federal judge dismisses a case that alleged police officers used excessive force against demonstrators during 2016 Dakota Access pipeline protests. (Jamestown Sun)
• Iowa State University researchers find that crop yields were slow to recover within the 150-foot right-of-way after construction of the Dakota Access pipeline. (Duluth News Tribune)
SOLAR:
• Opponents of utility-scale solar projects in eastern Iowa push disinformation and make unproven claims in efforts to stop proposals, emails show. (KCRG)
• Developing large-scale solar projects remains a point of contention among Midwestern landowners. (NPR)
• County officials in central Indiana will hold public hearings this month on a proposed ordinance to regulate commercial solar projects. (Herald Bulletin)
• A public hearing is delayed on a proposed 100 MW solar project in eastern Ohio as the developer gathers more information for state regulators. (Farm and Dairy)
CARBON CAPTURE: Emerging carbon capture technology hit a milestone in 2021 as North Dakota regulators approved the first project at an industrial facility and several others were proposed. (Bismarck Tribune)
UTILITIES:
• ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones reflects on his first month on the job as Illinois implements a sweeping climate change law and the utility attempts to move beyond a public corruption scandal. (E&E News, subscription)
• Illinois consumer advocates criticize a new Ameren rate increase that the utility says is necessary to pay for infrastructure upgrades and renewable energy projects. (Southern Illinoisan)
• Iowa State University officials investigate the potential for a public-private partnership to operate its campus utility system. (Radio Iowa)
BATTERIES: A North Dakota company seeks to extract lithium from produced water from oil and gas drilling to be reused in manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage. (Jamestown Sun)
COMMENTARY: Illinois shouldn’t be building new large-scale natural gas plants on the heels of a sweeping new climate change law, an editorial board writes. (Chicago Sun-Times)