A recipe for making heat pumps work where power is expensive

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

ELECTRIFICATION

• Electric rate structures that reflect shifts in power demand throughout the day can improve the economics for residential electric heat pumps, particularly in cold-weather states and areas where electricity is more expensive than gas, a report finds. (Canary Media)

PIPELINES

• The Dakota Access pipeline owner completes its side of a $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace after detailing costs incurred by 2016 protests, while the environmental advocacy group asks the judge to swiftly rule in its favor. (North Dakota Monitor)

SOLAR

• Michigan utility Consumers Energy buys roughly 800 acres of farmland near Lake Michigan at an auction, but doesn’t disclose whether it wants to build solar there. (Michigan Farm News)

• North Dakota regulators will hold a public hearing later this month on a proposed $375 million, 300 MW solar project about 38 miles south of Fargo. (Inforum)

• Construction is wrapping up on a $400 million solar farm in northern Missouri that will be the largest in the state. (KTVO)

UTILITIES

• Missouri lawmakers advance legislation allowing utilities to charge customers for new gas plants before they’re built, which critics say would harm ratepayers. (St. Louis Public Radio)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A group of 21 U.S. House Republicans call for protecting clean energy tax incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act, warning of economic disruptions and canceled projects if the incentives are slashed. (Inside Climate News)

• Clean energy advocates say Indiana is at a fork in the road and can either continue to heavily rely on coal-fired electricity or embrace renewable energy, energy efficiency and other clean energy technologies. (WFHB)

CLIMATE

• Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for blocking an effort by 19 GOP-led states to end climate liability lawsuits against the oil and gas industry. (E&E News)

NUCLEAR

• Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ latest budget proposal includes $1 million to study the potential of siting new nuclear generation as he anticipates a need for more zero-emissions power. (WisPolitics)

GRID

• Canada’s new 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the United States is unlikely to affect many Michigan consumers who get very little power from Canada, though threats to cut off power entirely could jeopardize regional grid reliability, regulators say. (Bridge)

• Hitachi Energy announces a $250 million investment to scale up electric transformer production, including at a plant in Missouri, to meet rising demand from data centers. (Utility Dive)

BIOFUELS

• An Ohio Congress member introduces legislation to establish guardrails for sustainable aviation fuel production that farmers say could open new market opportunities. (WTOV)

• Uncertainty over renewable fuel standard volumes as well as a federal tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act has paused operations at an Iowa biodiesel plant. (KWWL)

COMMENTARY

• Ann Arbor, Michigan’s plan to create a ​“sustainable energy utility” that allows residents to host solar and battery storage and eventually create microgrids could shed outdated infrastructure and improve grid resiliency, a University of Michigan professor writes. (The Conversation)