CLEAN ENERGY: A Michigan-based developer is basing future plans on a “new affordability” model that combines affordable rents, clean energy and access to public transportation. (Midwest Energy News)
BIOFUELS: Starting in May, biofuels in Minnesota will need to contain a mix of 20 percent soybeans or other renewable sources, which officials say will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tons next year. (Minnesota Public Radio)
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PIPELINES:
• Nebraska regulators begin hearings next week on whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline through the state, though they will not accept testimony on whether there is a market need for the project. (Reuters)
• Market conditions, the emergence of competing pipelines and opposition in the state of Nebraska are preventing Keystone XL from moving forward. (InsideClimate News)
• Keystone XL critics in Nebraska focus on the company’s use of eminent domain — not climate change — when building opposition to the project. (Bloomberg)
• South Dakota is reimbursed more than $500,000 for the costs of sending law enforcement to help with Dakota Access pipeline protests last year. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)
REGULATION: Lawmakers approve the appointment of a Senate aide on energy and a utility regulator from Pennsylvania to vacant positions on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, restoring a voting quorum. (Associated Press)
WIND: Wisconsin-based Alliant Energy proposes a new 500-megawatt wind project in Iowa. (Wisconsin State Journal)
SOLAR: A Chicago-area community college completes a rooftop solar project. (Chicago Tribune)
OIL AND GAS:
• The “cozy relationship” between gas and electric companies and the builders of new natural gas pipelines are driving the surge of new projects. (InsideClimate News)
• Republican lawmakers from North Dakota are supporting a bill to make it easier for some oil and gas recovery projects to claim carbon sequestration tax credits. (Williston Herald)
RENEWABLES: The scientific debate over getting to 100 percent renewables often misses the discussion of creating efficiencies across different sectors in the energy system. (Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new EV charging station installed outside the Michigan Public Service Commission will be the first in the state to charge drivers by kilowatt-hour rather than an hourly rate. (MLive)
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WIND: Lawmakers propose an investment tax credit specifically for offshore wind, which could apply to projects in the Great Lakes. (Utility Dive)
COMMENTARY:
• A local official in Wisconsin explains why Dane County “wants to do its part to address the risks of climate change and go beyond the modest goals of the Paris Accord.” (Madison Capital Times)
• Researchers say the price trajectory of wind energy should determine how long to continue offering subsidies for the energy source. (The Conversation)