Interconnection delays plague renewable rollouts

ALSO:

• The CEO of Kansas City-based utility Evergy says renewables are a cost-effective option to meet rising demand for electricity. (Kansas City Business Journal)
• An Iowa county will consider amendments next month to its utility-scale wind ordinance, including new requirements related to setbacks, noise, wildlife and agricultural impact, and shadow flicker. (Gazette)
• Solar generation saw its ninth consecutive year of growth in Ohio while wind production declined, largely due to unfavorable weather. (Axios)

CLIMATE:

• North Dakota’s new climate plan highlights energy efficiency, tree-planting and soil health and makes no mention of coal, oil or gas. (North Dakota Monitor)
• Ohio State University has made progress on its 2015 climate and sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality by 2050, but is nowhere near on-track to meet its targets, according to school officials. (Columbus Dispatch, subscription)

OIL & GAS:

• Ohioans living near a state park where legislation recently authorized fracking operations discuss with sadness how it has changed the area for the worse. (Ohio Capital Journal)
• Ohio regulators order three injection wells to stop pumping fracked waste underground, six months after they were deemed an ​“imminent danger” for leaking toxic waste into the surrounding area. (Cleveland.com)
• A watchdog group’s analysis finds Ohio had more than 1,400 oil and gas well incidents from 2018 to 2023, and that official state reports often downplayed the severity of the cases. (WVXU)

NUCLEAR:

• A shuttered Ohio plant that once made uranium for nuclear weapons is attracting new interest from companies tied to small nuclear reactors or hydrogen fuel, while local groups have concerns. (Ohio Newsroom)
• A package of bipartisan bills would create incentives and remove barriers for establishing small modular nuclear reactors in Michigan. (WNEM)