WIND: A new industry study concludes the value of wind power in Iowa now far exceeds its cost there. (Midwest Energy News)

NUCLEAR: Dairyland Electric Cooperative in Wisconsin wins a $73.5 million settlement from the federal government for having to store spent fuel at one of the utility’s long-shuttered nuclear plants. (LaCrosse Tribune)

***SPONSORED LINK: End your year on a strong note at Solar Power PV Conference & Expo-Chicago. Join hundreds of solar professionals and 40+ exhibitors for two days of cutting-edge education and networking. Register today! Expo passes start at $60.***

SOLAR:
• Minnesota receives $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to boost solar development. (Minnesota Public Radio)
• U.S. solar capacity will have nearly tripled in size in less than three years by 2017, according to the Department of Energy. (Climate Central)
• Minnesota-based retail giant Target earns the top spot among U.S. companies, surpassing Walmart, with the most solar capacity installed at its facilities. (CNET)
• Instead of a boom in community solar, “there are mostly unresolved debates over policies” that seem to distort the benefits it can bring. (Utility Dive)
• An Illinois elementary school plans to install solar panels that will meet 20 percent of the building’s energy needs. (Southern Illinoisan)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Wisconsin regulators may increase funding for farm digesters that convert animal waste to electricity. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

REGULATION: Subsidizing power plants in deregulated markets is not just an anecdote in Ohio, but rather a growing trend. (Utility Dive)

EFFICIENCY: New building energy codes and statewide initiatives have boosted Missouri’s ranking among states pursuing energy efficiency. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

CLIMATE: Over the course of the three presidential debates, moderators asked the candidates zero questions about climate change. (ClimateWire)

RATES: A new report shows Ohio residential ratepayers are paying more for electricity but consuming less overall. (Columbus Business First)

PIPELINES: A media watchdog group is calling on North Dakota prosecutors to drop charges against three filmmakers who were covering Dakota Access pipeline protests. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Support Solar in Illinois — Purchase a raffle ticket to win a 2016 Tesla Model S from the Illinois Solar Energy Association! One ticket for $100, 4 for $300. Only 2,500 tickets will be sold!***

TRANSMISSION: AEP plans to build a $20 million “transmission regional distribution center” outside Columbus, Ohio. (Newark Advocate)

COMMENTARY: Regulatory approval of Xcel Energy’s 15-year energy plan “will further strengthen Minnesota’s leadership position in the clean energy transition.” (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Avatar photo

Andy Balaskovitz

Andy compiles the Midwest Energy News digest and was a journalism fellow for Midwest Energy News from 2014-2020. He is managing editor of MiBiz in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was formerly a reporter and editor at City Pulse, Lansing’s alternative newsweekly.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.