Chicago committee advances electric vehicle ordinance

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Chicago City Council committee approves an ordinance requiring certain new commercial and residential buildings to have at least 20% of parking spaces ready for EV equipment. (Chicago Sun-Times)

SOLAR:
• Solar accounted for 40% of all new U.S. generating capacity in 2019, its highest share ever and more than any other electricity source, according to a new report. (Solar Power World)
• The Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council says rooftop solar installers face an ​“existential threat” as utilities near caps on customers who can participate in net metering or distributed generation programs. (E&E News, subscription)
• A suburban Chicago high school plans to install nearly 3,000 solar panels that will offset 40-45% of the building’s electricity usage. (Chicago Daily Herald)

PIPELINES:
• An Enbridge official discusses permits and approvals still needed to replace and expand the Line 3 pipeline through northern Minnesota. (Park Rapids Enterprise)
• Minnesota regulators cancel public meetings this week on the Line 3 pipeline and all other meetings for the next two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.. (Pioneer Press, news release)

POLICY: Minnesota lawmakers’ efforts to pass clean energy legislation this year may be stymied by the coronavirus outbreak. (Star Tribune)

CLEAN TECH: Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois restricts access to employees only and asks others to cancel visits for the next 30 days. (Science)

GRID: U.S. grid operators say no substantial effect on electricity demand has occurred yet as the coronavirus has spread, but that could change. (E&E News)

WIND: Developers complete a two-turbine, 5 MW wind project to service a production plant in southwestern Minnesota. (North American Windpower)

COMMENTARY:
• The Indiana NAACP calls on Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to veto legislation the group calls a ​“social safety net” for the coal industry. (TheStatehouseFile.com)
• It’s increasingly cheaper to build wind and solar than run coal plants and risk stranded assets, a Forbes writer says.