Climate funding targets Minnesota food systems

CLIMATE: Nearly $200 million in federal Inflation Reduction Act funding will go to reduce emissions from Minnesota’s food systems through electric farm equipment, energy-efficient refrigeration and other measures. (Star Tribune) 

• The funding is part of a $4.3 billion pot of money that federal officials estimate will reduce climate pollution by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050. (Inside Climate News)
• Illinois received $430 million from the program for various climate and emissions-cutting projects. (WTTW)

UTILITIES: Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials commissioned a study that found residents would save money on their electric bills if the city creates a public utility that exclusively uses local renewable energy. (Michigan Public)

EFFICIENCY:

• Homebuilders claim a Kansas City ordinance requiring certain energy efficiency standards is slowing construction in an already tight housing market, while environmentalists contend they’re necessary to curb building emissions. (The Beacon)
• Construction is expected to be completed in November on a net zero building in Lincoln, Nebraska, that will include nine apartments and six micro spaces for commercial use. (Journal Star)

SOLAR:

• Nearly $170 million in federal grant funding will support multiple solar projects in northeastern Ohio on contaminated brownfield properties. (WYSO)
• Following a new Michigan law giving state regulators more siting authority, a renewable energy developer will resume plans for a commercial solar project in a township that banned solar on farmland. (Michigan Public)
• A ground-mounted solar array in Ohio with pollinator-friendly habitat is helping attract Northern Bobwhite quail, which has declined in population as grasslands vanish. (Solar Power World)

PIPELINES: Organizers plan to hold a rally this weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota, to call on state regulators to reject a permit for a proposed carbon capture pipeline. (Inforum)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A retired engineer in western Michigan who now owns three electric vehicles is among a growing group of people who spread information about the benefits of EVs to drivers of gasoline-powered vehicles. (Bridge)
• Millions of dollars in state grant funding will support multi-modal charging stations for electric aircraft and ground vehicles in northern Michigan. (Traverse City Ticker)