3M’s new focus: cheap green hydrogen

GRID: Amid concerns about how data center growth will affect the grid, Microsoft says it is committed to “paying its own way” when it comes to potential upgrades to power a planned Wisconsin facility. (WPR)

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ALSO: Ohio regulators approve new transmission charges for AEP Ohio that consumer advocates say will sharply increase residential customers’ bills. (Dayton Daily News)

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HYDROGEN: Minnesota-based 3M is investing in research that aims to lower the costs of producing green hydrogen and make it more competitive with renewables and fossil fuels. (Star Tribune)

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OIL & GAS: Marathon seeks to remove air pollution permit limits and increase production at a Detroit refinery that has previously violated air quality laws multiple times. (Bridge Detroit)

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CLIMATE: Michigan Republicans criticize the state attorney general’s effort to recruit private-sector attorneys to help pursue climate lawsuits against major fossil fuel companies. (Michigan Public)

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PIPELINES: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding a pair of hearings today in Wisconsin on Enbridge’s request to reroute a portion of Line 5 around tribal land in northern Wisconsin. (Journal Sentinel)

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POWER PLANTS:

• North Dakota regulators will start hearings soon on a proposed multibillion-dollar plant that would convert natural gas into liquid hydrogen products while also producing electricity. (North Dakota Monitor)
• DTE Energy is building an onsite gas-fired power plant to provide steam and electricity to a new Ford electric vehicle and battery plant in Tennessee. (Detroit News, subscription)  

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SOLAR: Converting farmland to commercial solar projects could be a sticking point in the upcoming federal Farm Bill, though advocates say solar and farming can coexist under agrivoltaics practices. (E&E News, subscription)

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EFFICIENCY:

• Madison becomes the first Wisconsin city to require property owners report their energy use in commercial buildings, with the first phase applying to buildings larger than 100,000 square feet. (WPR)
• Attorneys general from Nebraska and 22 other states threaten legal action if the Biden administration moves forward with new energy-efficiency standards on stoves, cooktops and ovens. (Nebraska Examiner)
• Ameren Illinois targets six west-central Illinois communities for the latest phase of a program to convert streetlights to more efficient LED models. (Journal Courier)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• St. Paul, Minnesota, plans to install 10 public Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, which will include dedicated charging ports for the city’s electric car share program. (Pioneer Press)
• Minnesota’s online application for up to $1,500 in electric bike rebates opens Wednesday on a first-come, first-served basis. (Star Tribune)

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