SOLAR: An Ohio bill that already passed nearly unanimously in the state senate would prevent all but “reasonable restrictions” on solar installations by homeowner associations. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
• Minnesota regulators’ approval of Xcel Energy’s long-term energy plan directs the utility to procure 2,500 MW of solar by 2030. (PV Magazine)
• Southwestern Michigan township officials approve plans for a 100 MW solar project that’s expected to start construction in June. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
UTILITIES: Great River Energy’s member cooperatives reapprove the sale of the company’s Coal Creek plant in North Dakota and an accompanying transmission line, though Great River’s largest member voted against the plan. (Star Tribune)
EFFICIENCY: Adopting a more energy efficient building code in Minnesota would improve living conditions for people of color while reducing emissions, a recent report says. (Sahan Journal)
OVERSIGHT: The four candidates being considered for a vacant seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio all have ties to the natural gas or utility industries, or both. (Ohio Capital Journal)
PIPELINES:
• More than a dozen states have passed laws criminalizing protests on “critical infrastructure,” and pipeline advocates say law enforcement uses threats of felony charges to deter activists. (The Guardian)
• Alberta Province initiates a formal trade challenge to recover its more than $1 billion investment in the Keystone XL pipeline that was scrapped in 2021 after the Biden administration canceled a key permit. (Reuters)
WIND:
• A majority of speakers at a recent public hearing expressed support for a planned 150 MW wind project in northwestern Ohio. (Crescent-News)
• Turbine producer Siemens Gamesa will lay off 190 employees at facilities in Kansas and Iowa as a legal dispute with GE slows new orders. (Hays Post)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An Illinois transit agency receives a $5 million state grant to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure for buses. (Quad-City Times)
HYDROELECTRIC: Michigan lawmakers express shock and disbelief about the extent of ecological damage caused by sediment flowing from a hydroelectric dam impoundment more than two years ago. (MLive)
OIL & GAS: A Kansas judge allows a lawsuit to proceed claiming energy giant BP gauged residents on natural gas prices during last February’s cold weather emergency. (Wichita Eagle)
HYDROGEN: The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation would supply natural gas for a North Dakota hydrogen infrastructure hub under a partnership with developers. (Minot Daily News)
COMMENTARY: A Wisconsin editorial board opposes a utility-scale solar project in rural Dane County because some nearby landowners would “enjoy their property less” while further dividing residents. (News & Independent)