CLEAN TECH: Ameren partners with researchers and the private sector on a business incubator focused on smart grid technology. (Midwest Energy News)
OIL AND GAS:
• Ohio has 11 natural gas plants under varying stages of development, prompting some to question whether the state will rely too much on the fuel source. (Columbus Dispatch)
• U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are now equal to emissions from the electricity sector, largely thanks to a shift away from coal power, according to an EPA report. (E&E News)
• North Dakota regulators consider changes to the state’s policy aimed at reducing natural gas flaring. (Bismarck Tribune)
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NUCLEAR:
• An Exelon official says high costs will prevent new nuclear plants from being built in the United States. (Platts)
• States across the Midwest are considering bills to protect existing nuclear plants from market challenges. (Forbes)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• An Xcel Energy pilot program in Minnesota involves home “smart” chargers that don’t require customers to install a second electrical meter. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• The public transit service in Illinois’ Quad Cities metro area unveils three electric buses. (Quad-City Times)
SOLAR:
• A nature center in Iowa achieves net-zero energy certification after solar panels generated more energy the past year than the facility used. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• AEP Ohio awards $250,000 to Ohio University to research the economic benefits of solar deployment in southeastern Ohio. (Athens News)
PIPELINES: Enbridge temporarily shuts down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac due to bad weather. (Detroit News)
UTILITIES: It’s unclear how much President Trump can do to help FirstEnergy’s struggling nuclear and coal plants. (WOSU)
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TRANSPORTATION: Minnesota officials ask the U.S. EPA to reconsider its plan to weaken vehicle emissions standards. (Minnesota Public Radio)
COMMENTARY:
• DTE Energy says it has made the case to build a 1,100 megawatt natural gas plant to replace coal units, while a former Michigan utility regulator says the project would be a $1 billion mistake. (Detroit Free Press)
• A solar advocate says streamlining local regulations can decrease the costs of installing solar projects in Minnesota. (MinnPost)
• An attorney says states should capitalize on energy efficiency and renewable energy policies to bolster electric vehicle deployment. (Utility Dive)
• Emails show the extent to which an Ohio lobbyist helped state lawmakers keep strict wind turbine setbacks in place. (Checks & Balances Project)