Lawmakers say feds poised to approve Dakota Access pipeline

WIND: Two rural Michigan counties — including the ​“wind capital” of the state — recently enacted one-year moratoriums on new wind development in order to sort out how localized zoning regulations should be. (Midwest Energy News)

PIPELINES:
• U.S. lawmakers from North Dakota say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will grant the final approval needed to complete the Dakota Access pipeline, though opponents say they are ​“jumping the gun.” (Reuters)
• If the needed easement is granted, the Standing Rock Sioux chairman vows to challenge it in court. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join the Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) at the Energy Storage Conference, February 15 in Milwaukee. This conference will explore recent advances in energy storage technologies, as well as the applications and in-field examples of the role of energy storage. ***

SOLAR:
• Minnesota lawmakers advance legislation that would block state utility regulators’ ability to review solar fees by electric cooperatives. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• A southern Minnesota county looks to install solar panels at a closed landfill as a way to decrease energy costs. (Waseca County News)

COAL:
• Illinois overtakes Kentucky to be the #3 coal-producing state in the country. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• A Missouri-based utility will appeal a state judge’s $10 million award to a worker who said he developed a form of asthma while working as a mechanic at one of the utility’s coal plants. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. House plan to vote today to repeal the Obama administration’s stream protection rules. (The Hill)

HYDRO: Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing cylinder devices that generate high-density hydroelectric power with fewer impacts on fish species. (Michigan Radio)

BIOFUELS: 2016 saw record ethanol and biodiesel production, though renewable fuel industry leaders in Iowa expect 2017 to be much more uncertain. (Radio Iowa)

OIL AND GAS: The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts an 8 percent expansion in natural gas capacity over the next two years. (Utility Dive)

STORAGE:
• Analysts project behind-the-meter applications to make up 51 percent of the U.S. storage market by 2021 — such applications now account for 15 percent of the market. (Utility Dive)
• At a recent gathering in Chicago, grid experts say battery storage deployment has been slowed by a ​“web of regulations at every level.” (Forbes)

FRACKING: Despite well-documented risks associated with fracking, local governments often have limited ability to do anything about them. (Governing)

UTILITIES: A planned $12.2 billion merger between utilities in Missouri and Kansas is projected to eliminate 638 jobs. (Topeka Capital-Journal)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Creating state and local incentives for renewables and distributed generation will lead to a ​“proliferation” of clean energy on the grid, experts say. (Medill Reports Chicago)
• The head of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association still sees co-ops investing heavily in renewables and energy efficiency even if the Clean Power Plan is eliminated. (Agri-Pulse)

COMMENTARY:
• A local official in Wisconsin says the announcement of a major solar project at the site of a nuclear plant there is ​“great news.” (Herald Times Reporter)
• An Indiana columnist argues that a proposed statewide bill restricting wind development is unnecessary because local residents can already voice their opinions to allow or block projects. (Muncie Star Press)