CARBON CAPTURE:
• North Dakota regulators approve underground storage plans for a proposed $1 billion carbon capture project at a major coal plant. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Congress has committed billions of dollars to carbon capture technology in recent years with few working projects to show for it. (CBS News)
• The developer of a proposed carbon capture pipeline through Iowa tells residents that safety measures would be in place to prevent property damage and that the company prefers voluntary easements over the use of eminent domain. (Globe Gazette)
OVERSIGHT: An Ohio council tasked with picking nominees to the state’s Public Utilities Commission still includes several members who supported, lobbied or co-sponsored House Bill 6. (Cleveland.com)
EFFICIENCY: Michigan is set to update its home construction energy code, pitting environmental groups against home builders who say the stronger energy efficiency requirements would drive up costs. (Bridge Michigan)
SOLAR:
• Western Iowa county officials approve plans for a 100 MW solar project that includes amended setback distances from neighbors as well as landscaping to obstruct views of the project. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• The developer of a planned 108 MW solar project near Columbus, Ohio, hopes to supply power to a nearby Intel microchip factory announced last week. (WBNS)
• U.S. solar panel manufacturing is at an inflection point as the Biden administration considers whether to extend Trump-era tariffs as well as press a “Buy American” manufacturing policy. (E&E News)
WIND:
• Facebook parent company Meta will purchase the full output from a 225 MW wind project in central Iowa to help power a data center. (Des Moines Register)
• A western Illinois county is testing a new wind turbine lighting system that only flashes at night when aircraft are nearby. (WLDS)
• A database shows wind turbines in the Great Lakes region are most concentrated along the Canadian shoreline of Lake Huron, southern Minnesota, central Illinois and Michigan’s Thumb region. (Great Lakes Now)
• Eastern Wisconsin county officials may soon consider a proposal for a 16-turbine wind project that would include the tallest turbines in the state. (Sheboygan Press)
MICROGRIDS: A microgrid cluster in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is expected to be completed this year, providing an opportunity for multiple systems to island themselves from the grid in case of an outage. (Microgrid Knowledge)
OIL & GAS:
• The North Dakota Supreme Court will consider a case involving oil and gas royalties from the development of state-owned minerals and how far back the state can retroactively collect unpaid royalties. (Bismarck Tribune)
• More than 18,000 gallons of produced water spilled at a North Dakota oil well after the site was vandalized and valves were opened. (KFGO)
COMMENTARY:
• A member of the Illinois Commerce Commission says state utility regulators should ensure reliability in electric vehicle infrastructure regardless of the charging station ownership model. (Bloomberg Law)
• A longtime Ohio water regulator says the state’s House Bill 6 scandal presents an opportunity to reform the Public Utilities Commission and send a strong message that the state “will not tolerate corruption in the future.” (Columbus Dispatch)