PIPELINES: President Donald Trump signs executive orders to renegotiate deals and move forward with the construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, as well as expediting reviews for other pipeline projects. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• Opponents of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines face high legal hurdles if the U.S. government approves their construction, experts say. (Reuters)
• A top presidential campaign aide to Trump stands to profit if both pipeline projects go through. (DeSmog Blog)
• Two people are charged with misdemeanors for their protest against the Dakota Access pipeline during a professional football game in Minnesota. (Associated Press)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join the Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) at the Energy Storage Conference, February 15 in Milwaukee. This conference will explore recent advances in energy storage technologies, as well as the applications and in-field examples of the role of energy storage. ***
GRID: New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows renewables accounted for roughly two-thirds of new power sources added in 2016, though they still play a relatively small role in the Midwest and across the country. (Midwest Energy News)
SOLAR:
• Plans for a 2.25 megawatt solar project in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan are scrapped after the Massachusetts-based developer “disappeared,” city officials say. (Midwest Energy News)
• Amid disputes over wind development, local farmers in Michigan’s Thumb region are signing contracts to lease land for solar development. (Huron Daily Tribune)
• Plans for an 8.2 megawatt solar project in Indiana move forward on the day after the same utility had a new 5 megawatt project come online. (Anderson Herald-Bulletin)
CLIMATE:
• Most states are in “stand-down mode” when it comes to preparing for the Clean Power Plan. (ClimateWire)
• The Trump administration has ordered the EPA to remove the climate change page from its website, as early as today. (Reuters)
• For a few hours, the Twitter account of Badlands National Park in South Dakota was hailed by many as a hero for a defiant stance against the Trump administration on climate change. (Washington Post)
BIOMASS: The U.S. EPA says Michigan agencies discriminated against local residents in Flint with its public participation process over a wood-waste power plant. (MLive)
WIND: Proposed legislation in Indiana would require local votes to approve wind projects before construction would begin. (Connersville News Examiner)
OIL AND GAS: North Dakota is one of six states that has slipped into recession after a sharp decline in oil and gas production and exploration. (Associated Press)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: The owner of a Nebraska waste-to-energy facility issues a report saying faulty residential plumbing has been the cause of ongoing odor issues near the plant, not the facility itself. (Sioux City Journal)
COMMENTARY: Despite signs of a major federal policy shift toward renewable energy, financiers are actively investing in solar projects and new companies: “Profit has no political allegiance.” (Greentech Media)