Madison, Wisconsin buys 27 electric buses for BRT system

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Madison, Wisconsin, will use $41.6 million in federal funding to buy 27 electric buses for the first phase of the city’s new bus rapid transit system. (Wisconsin State Journal)

ALSO:
• Omaha, Nebraska’s transit agency launches three new electric buses with the help of state and federal funding. (WOWT)
• County officials in St. Louis narrowly vote to relax regulations requiring electric vehicle charging stations on certain commercial properties. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Congress members from Ohio and Michigan say the U.S. needs to prioritize domestic production of electric and autonomous vehicles in order to compete globally. (The Hill)

NUCLEAR: A Minnesota environmental group is among organizations calling for state lawmakers to lift a moratorium on new nuclear power to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (MinnPost)

COAL:
• Local officials raise concerns about the impending closure of a southern Ohio coal plant that has provided steady tax revenue and jobs for decades. (WCPO)
• The owner of a southwestern Illinois shipyard buys portions of a former coal plant site that will be repurposed with new docks. (WBGZ)

PIPELINES:
• Roughly 100 people gathered at the Iowa capitol to call for stronger landowner protections against the use of eminent domain proposed carbon pipeline projects. (Des Moines Register)
• An Iowa county board unanimously approves drafting a formal letter to state officials opposing the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines. (KMALand)

OIL & GAS:
• Up to $32 million in federal funding could help Michigan accelerate its orphan well program that remediates abandoned oil and gas well sites. (MiBiz)
• An organization funded by the government in Alberta, Canada seeks to ​“influence American public opinion” and promote the province’s oil industry, documents show. (VICE)
• Large energy users that are ramping up production after pandemic-related slowdowns contribute to rising natural gas prices as demand increases, according to a Minnesota gas utility. (KTTC)

SOLAR: Local officials in a Cleveland suburb seek to obtain a SolSmart designation that would provide technical assistance to residents and business owners pursuing solar installations. (Cleveland.com)

DIVESTMENT: The University Senate at Purdue University considers a proposal calling on school officials to transition endowment investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy. (The Exponent)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Fossil fuel-reliant red states are making it difficult to establish consensus for national action to accelerate the clean energy shift. (The Atlantic)
• President Biden’s latest budget proposal includes $44.9 billion for clean energy, electrification and other emission-reduction programs. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Minnesota lawmakers advance a proposal that would provide financial relief to utility customers who faced natural gas price spikes during a February 2021 cold snap. (WCCO)

EFFICIENCY: The U.S. EPA recognizes two southeastern Michigan manufacturing plants for efficiency measures taken to cut down on electricity usage. (MLive)