Judge denies temporary restraining order on Dakota Access construction

SOLAR:
• Iowa advocates are concerned about a utility’s distributed generation pilot program they believe would limit the amount of energy solar customers are allowed to offset on their electricity bill. (Midwest Energy News)
• An Indiana school district moves forward on a project adding solar panels at four of the district’s five schools. (The Times of Northwest Indiana)

PIPELINES:
• A federal judge denies a temporary restraining order seeking to halt construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, but he will require the developer to provide weekly updates of when oil begins to flow. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Analysts say the Trump administration’s newfound focus on pipelines won’t be a panacea for steel demand in Minnesota’s Iron Range. (Minnesota Public Radio)

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WIND: For the first time, Great Plains states produced more than half of the region’s electricity from wind power. (Bloomberg)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The rollout of the longer-range, lower-priced Chevrolet Bolt may mark a turning point for the electric vehicle market. (NPR)

RENEWABLES: Nebraska lawmakers hear testimony on legislation to encourage shared solar projects and identify ​“wind-friendly” counties. (Scottsbluff Star Herald)

NUCLEAR: The head of the Nuclear Energy Institute says the industry is ​“reaching a tipping point as policymakers have come to appreciate the risk of losing nuclear plants.” (RTO Insider)

EFFICIENCY: Ann Arbor, Michigan joins other cities in establishing a ​“2030 District,” which aims to cut energy usage and transportation emissions by 50 percent. (MLive)

OIL AND GAS: Plans to drill five new oil and gas wells on federally owned land in western North Dakota move forward. (Forum News Service)

CLIMATE: A new report says the Trump administration would face a ​“complicated legal battle” if it attempts to withdraw from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Greenwire)

CLEAN TECH: Chicago-based renewable energy developer Invenergy launches a venture capital fund to invest in companies that use technology to improve energy management. (Utility Dive)

COAL:
• President Trump reportedly cancels a trip to Ohio where he planned to sign a bill reversing the Obama administration’s stream protection rule. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
• The sentiment for Illinois Basin coal has been positive recently, though ​“few deals are getting done with buyers and sellers still far apart.” (Platts)

UTILITIES: Duke Energy is dispatching a team of customer service employees to Indiana to confront widespread complaints of high heating bills the past two months. (Terre Haute Tribune Star)

COMMENTARY:
• With its declining cost, improved reliability management and public interest, wind energy ​“can be the new baseload,” according to a wind advocacy group. (Morning Consult)
• Clean energy advocates say proponents of a plan to build a major natural gas plant to replace coal-burning units in Minnesota don’t mention that the project ​“is a multibillion-dollar boondoggle.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Indiana researchers and the leader of an investment firm write columns opposing plans to eliminate the state’s net metering program. (South Bend Tribune, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)