SOLAR:
• Officials in Dane County, Wisconsin will study the feasibility of building a 6-megawatt solar project on 30 acres at the local airport. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• A solar group-buying program in southeast Wisconsin moves forward with a new project developer. (Racine Journal Times)
UTILITIES: Shares of Westar Energy dropped 8 percent this week after Kansas regulators unanimously voted against its planned $12.2 billion sale to Great Plains Energy. (RTO Insider)
***SPONSORED LINK: Stay current on the newest developments in the energy economy by attending the Advancing Renewables in the Midwest Conference April 24-25 in Columbia, Missouri. For registration and details: www.AdvancingRenewables.org.***
WIND: The chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy says a change in course on energy policy at the federal level is not deterring the utility from meeting customer demand for wind energy. (SNL / Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
PIPELINES: Enbridge is finishing work on a years-long upgrade on its Line 61 pipeline, which runs from Duluth, Minnesota, to Flanagan, Illinois. (WiscNews)
FINANCE: Property Assessed Clean Energy financing is now available to help pay for clean energy projects in Winona County, Minnesota. (Winona Daily News)
OIL AND GAS:
• North Dakota lawmakers are considering establishing a committee to study tribal tax issues in an attempt to reach a compromise over oil tax revenue. (Forum News Service)
• Plans move forward for a roughly $1 billion natural gas plant near Springfield, Illinois. (State Journal-Register)
TRANSPORTATION: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton opens the door for a transportation funding bill package that does not include a gasoline tax increase. (Associated Press)
STORAGE: An energy storage trade group files a complaint with federal regulators against grid operator PJM’s rules governing energy storage projects. (Energy Storage News)
EFFICIENCY: Facilities across Michigan are awarded for their efforts to increase energy efficiency. (MLive)
BIOFUELS:
• South Dakota officials approve a $3.55 million loan to a county railroad authority that will be directed toward a planned ethanol plant. (Pierre Capital Journal)
• The city of Lima, Ohio is seeking state grant funding to determine which alternative fuels would be appropriate for the city’s fleet of buses and trucks. (Lima News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Network with 450-plus solar, storage and utility execs at the 4th Annual Midwest Solar Expo & Smart Energy Symposium, May 22-24 in Minneapolis. Gain the latest market insights and trends while networking with hundreds of industry leaders. Register today. ***
COAL: Why Ohio’s move away from coal generation and the subsequent drop in emissions will lead to cheaper gasoline available this summer. (Fox 19)
COMMENTARY:
• An industry representative says Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that “would take us backwards” on developing biofuels. (Des Moines Register)
• As Michigan’s new energy laws take effect, a clean energy advocate calls the two-year effort a “success story … that signaled clean energy and its many benefits are here to stay in Michigan.” (Natural Resources Defense Council)