Eviction crisis continues in North Dakota oil town

OIL & GAS: Though oil production peaked in a western North Dakota county in 2019, a local eviction crisis continues as rents remain high and housing options are limited. (Bloomberg)

CARBON CAPTURE: A U.S. Steel plant in Gary, Indiana, is embarking on a $150 million carbon capture project that will convert emissions into calcium carbonate, potentially serving as a demonstration for turning emissions into a valuable product. (Canary Media)

RENEWABLES:

• A Kansas farmer who installed a solar project on his property also helped create a renewable energy department at a local community college that offers multiple degrees and has certified dozens of students. (Flatland)
• Four Midwestern states will receive federal Inflation Reduction Act funding to boost siting programs that make it easier to develop wind, solar and storage projects. (Utility Dive)
• Candidates for a southeastern Nebraska county board are grilled during a public forum about their views on wind and solar development as the issue remains contentious locally. (News Channel Nebraska)

SOLAR:

• Missouri solar generation grew by nearly 32% last year over 2022, largely thanks to small-scale installations, though the state still significantly lags behind neighboring Illinois. (St. Louis Public Radio)
• Combining crops and grazing animals with commercial solar projects, known as agrivoltaics, gains steam in Wisconsin as concerns grow about preserving agricultural land. (Capital Times)

GRID: Utilities developing a contested transmission line between Iowa and Wisconsin seek to overturn a recent ruling that halted a land exchange needed to complete the project. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)

POLLUTION: A new state report finding that about 80% of rivers, streams and lakes in South Dakota are too polluted for at least one of their intended uses primarily blames mercury detected in fish caused in part by burning coal for power. (South Dakota Searchlight)

UTILITIES:

• Officials at Michigan’s largest electric utilities say recently approved and proposed rate increases are tied to needed grid infrastructure upgrades. (WILX)
• MidAmerican Energy wins approval for the company’s first natural gas rate increase in two decades to offset higher delivery costs and improve infrastructure. (Des Moines Register)

PIPELINES: Advocates remain concerned about the potential safety hazards of a previously proposed carbon pipeline between Iowa and Illinois, even though the developer withdrew the original plan. (WVIK)

COMMENTARY: An Ohio solar advocate previews a public hearing Thursday on a major solar project that would also include one of the state’s largest sheep grazing operations, aiming to counter misinformation spreading about the plan. (Ohio Capital Journal)