OHIO: A request for federal regulators to intervene in the two income-guarantee requests by Ohio utilities could derail the proposals even if they receive state approval. (Midwest Energy News)
SOLAR:
• Utilities and solar advocates in Iowa are caught off guard by proposed legislation to cut the amount solar generators are paid back under the state’s net metering program. (Midwest Energy News)
• Though expressing concern about costs, state regulators approve a $30 million solar project at a National Guard training center in Minnesota. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• A new solar array in Missouri is expected to go online this spring. (Rolla Daily News)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join more than 600 innovators and decision-makers February 24-26 in Chicago for the Midwest Energy Solutions Conference. With live demonstrations, insightful panels and unparalleled networking, MES 2016 is a can’t-miss conference. Register today!***
FRAC SAND: Wisconsin residents are testing a new legal approach in attempts to block new frac sand mines, calling them a private nuisance and an infringement on their property rights. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
CLIMATE: Major corporations in Minnesota are leading efforts to curb climate change. (Minnesota Public Radio)
CONGRESS: Despite hopes for a smooth passing through a Congress, a sweeping energy package starting in the Senate will likely revive old and new partisan energy policy fights. (E&E Daily)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: A shadow group operating in North Dakota and Minnesota is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing an “all of the above” energy plan in opposition to the Clean Power Plan. (Bluestem Prairie)
EMISSIONS: Echoing strong public opposition, Detroit’s mayor says the city will “fight vigorously” against a proposal by Marathon Oil to increase harmful emissions at a nearby refinery. Another top local official is “disturbed” by Marathon’s proposal. (WXYZ-TV, The News-Herald)
COAL:
• The Kansas Supreme Court hears arguments over whether a new coal plant can proceed without limits on greenhouse gas emissions. (Associated Press)
• Norfolk Southern plans to scale back its coal-by-rail shipments from Ohio. (Global Trade Magazine)
PIPELINE: Developers are waiting on Iowa regulators to determine whether the proposed 1,100-mile Dakota Access pipeline can pass through the state. (Radio Iowa)
UTILITIES: Milwaukee-based WEC Energy Group CEO Gale Klappa will step down on May 1. (Milwaukee Business Journal)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Council on Feb. 1 for an exclusive panel discussion on the Paris climate agreement, with Ed Crooks of the Financial Times, White House National Security Council advisor Paul Bodnar, Marathon Capital CEO Ted Brandt, and others.***
DERAILMENT: Nearly 1,000 gallons of soybean oil leaked into the Mississippi River Thursday as several tankers derailed in southeastern Minnesota. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• The Renewable Fuel Standard approach has “stifled innovation” and tilts the balance in favor of corn-based ethanol at the expense of cellulosic fuels. (New York Times)
• Why FirstEnergy “will be on the losing end of the new energy economy.” (Environmental Defense Fund)