SOLAR: A Canadian solar panel maker plans to spend about $145 million to build a second Minnesota factory in response to domestic manufacturing incentives in the federal Inflation Reduction Act. (Reuters)
ALSO:
• A Minnesota installer finds success building community solar projects in Maine, whose program is similar to the one in its home state. (Solar Power World)
• Ohio regulators propose new solar siting rules that would add community outreach and vegetation management requirements. (Register-Herald)
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Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition Accepting Applications for Funding
The application period for MWBDC’s 2023-2023 Participation Stipends (up to $8,000) and Empowerment Grants (up to $50,000) is open now through August 1st. Members of Environmental Justice communities and BIPOC are especially encouraged to apply. Learn more here.
UTILITIES:
• Michigan utility regulators today are set to consider an expedited clean energy transition negotiated in a proposed settlement between DTE Energy and environmental groups. (Michigan Advance)
• Xcel Energy customers in South Dakota will see an average refund of $90 on their electricity bills after state regulators scaled back the utility’s rate increase request. (KKRC)
CARBON CAPTURE:
• South Dakota regulators begin hearings on a proposed five-state carbon capture pipeline that brought out droves of project opponents. (South Dakota Searchlight)
• An Illinois county joins others in the state by objecting to a proposed carbon capture pipeline. (Hawk Eye)
BATTERIES:
• An Indiana battery manufacturer will liquidate its assets after filing for bankruptcy caused by a slowdown of work. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
• The developer of a nearly $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Michigan pushes the project timeline back by a year and limits the project’s footprint following some local opposition. (WOOD-TV8)
OIL & GAS:
• A Missouri gas utility begins the cleanup from a recent gas pipeline explosion as internal and external investigations seek to determine the cause of the incident. (Daily Citizen)
• Michigan utility Consumers Energy is in the process of replacing 55 miles of outdated natural gas pipelines. (WILX)
GRID:
• Minnesota researchers explore the potential of self-sufficient microgrids as climate change fuels extreme weather conditions that can stress the broader power grid. (WCCO)
• A Kansas utility says it stays in close contact with the regional grid operator to ensure adequate power supplies during extreme heat. (KSHB)
CLIMATE: Minnesota is among a few states taking steps to boost K-12 climate education, while conservatives’ culture war and complex bureaucracy around curriculum cause teachers in much of the country to mostly ignore climate change in the classroom. (The Revelator)
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