Solar ramps up in South Dakota

SOLAR: Two large solar projects that have come online in South Dakota over the past year signal a new interest in solar for a state where wind energy has dominated renewable energy sources. (South Dakota News Watch)

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ALSO: The Ohio Power Siting Board will hold a second public hearing on a large solar project after roughly 800 people packed a theater and public comments ran on for hours. (Knox Pages)

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CARBON CAPTURE: The CEO of a multi-state carbon pipeline project maintains that it would be crucial for ethanol producers who could market low-carbon products. (NWestIowa.com)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Auto analysts say the Biden administration’s formula for a new “petroleum equivalency factor” will significantly worsen the miles-per-gallon rating for electric vehicles and could be as impactful as new tailpipe emissions. (Detroit News, subscription)
• U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa claims nearly 60,000 ethanol sector jobs would be at stake under the Biden administration’s recently finalized tailpipe emission rules. (KMALand)
• Congress member Debbie Dingell of Michigan says the federal government’s role in the EV transition should be to support jobs and ensure vehicle affordability. (Great Lakes Echo)

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GRID:

• Michigan’s attorney general criticizes DTE Energy’s five-year, $9 billion grid distribution plan for failing to identify specific problem areas needed for upgrades. (Planet Detroit)
• Duke Energy officials say a $500 million rate increase request in Indiana is meant to harden the grid and prepare for tens of thousands of new customers anticipated in the coming years. (Indiana Public Broadcasting)

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WIND: Three former Minnesota high school students have used their technical training in renewable energy to support the development of an offshore wind project in Massachusetts. (Echo Journal)

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RENEWABLES: Wisconsin utilities tout voluntary, subscription-based green pricing programs as a way for customers to support renewable energy investments without onsite installations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

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UTILITIES: Consumer advocates and Indiana utility NIPSCO agree on a rate increase request that’s about 75% of what the utility sought to pay for gas infrastructure investments. (Chicago Tribune)

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COMMENTARY: Some Minnesota environmental groups’ newfound opposition to a statewide low-carbon fuel standard raises questions about the future of the state’s ethanol industry, a columnist writes. (Star Tribune)

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