Minnesota rolls out community solar 2.0

SOLAR: Minnesota community solar developers are retooling their business plans as the state’s program undergoes some of the biggest changes since its launch over a decade ago. (Energy News Network)

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ALSO:

• A once-thriving Detroit neighborhood is among nine under consideration for a large solar project that would power 127 city buildings, but some residents are concerned the projects will drive disinvestment. (Bridge Detroit)  
• A planned 49.9 MW solar project in Dayton, Ohio, wins approval from county officials, allowing construction to start next year. (Springfield News-Sun)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• The Missouri House passes legislation aimed at blocking cities and counties from requiring developers to include charging stations in new construction projects. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Tribal nations and utilities partner on a $13.4 million project to install EV chargers and distribute vehicles to Upper Midwest tribal fleets. (Utility Dive)

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RENEWABLES: The University of Wisconsin-Madison announces a new campus-wide sustainability plan that includes achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030. (Wisconsin State Journal)

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PIPELINES:

• Michigan Republican lawmakers send a letter to the U.S. Army Corps urging it to expedite its environmental review of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. (Up North Live)
• South Dakota lawmakers send a bill to the governor that would require hydrogen pipelines to obtain permits from the state’s utility commission. (Argus Leader)

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NUCLEAR: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal seeks another $150 million to help reopen the shuttered Palisades nuclear power plant, but critics say the money would be better spent on energy efficiency, renewable energy, or public transit. (Bridge Michigan)

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MINING: Minnesota Democrats introduce a bill to restrict certain mining practices in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area watershed that the industry says will limit access to essential materials for clean energy. (Minnesota Reformer)

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COAL: DTE Energy schedules demolition dates for its Trenton, Michigan, coal power plant, with the first phase set for March 1. (ClickOnDetroit)

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POLLUTION: Minnesota officials begin the process of implementing the state’s new “cumulative impacts” law for regulating pollution in environmental justice areas, but questions remain about its definitions. (MinnPost)

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CLIMATE:

• Michigan officials share a draft priority climate action plan highlighting opportunities to cut emissions under a federal Inflation Reduction Act grant program. (MLive, subscription)
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, releases a citywide greenhouse gas emissions inventory for 2019, which will serve as the baseline for its climate goals. (WOOD-TV)
• South Dakota lawmakers debate a bill banning the use of aerosols and other chemicals for geoengineering, which critics say could also force the state to crack down pollution from ethanol plants and agriculture. (Dakota Scout)

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BIOFUELS: The Ohio House passes a bill to create a temporary 5 cents per gallon tax credit for sales of E15 and higher ethanol blends. (Crawford County Now)

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COMMENTARY:

• U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa touts the legacy of his 1993 Wind Energy Incentives Act, which established the first wind energy tax credit and helped make Iowa a renewable energy pioneer. (Des Moines Register)
• Analysts predict substantial growth in electric vehicle sales in the coming years as lower priced models come to market, though the timing and rate of growth remains uncertain, a journalist writes. (Inside Climate News)

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