Minnesota college puts thermal batteries to the test

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

BATTERIES

• A college campus in western Minnesota is piloting a thermal battery unit with limestone-derived pellets that can run on electricity from nearby wind turbines to produce heat for facilities. (Canary Media)

• Rivian and Redwood Materials partner on an energy storage system at the EV maker’s Normal, Illinois, manufacturing plant, where Rivian will supply second-life batteries for Redwood to repurpose into a system to lower utility costs and grid demand. (Wards Auto)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• General Motors indefinitely suspends its next-generation full-size electric truck program as EV sales slump and the company shifts back to internal combustion and hybrid models. (Crain’s Detroit)

RENEWABLES

• Indiana counties with renewable energy restrictions saw a net GDP loss of about $204 million from 2001 to 2021 while adjacent counties experienced a $13 million net gain, according to a new Ball State University report. (Indiana Public Media)

DATA CENTERS

• Grid operator MISO expects its peak load could grow 35% by 2035, driven largely by data center development, though the forecast may shift based on uncertainty in the development pipeline. (Utility Dive)

AIR POLLUTION

• The Indianapolis metro region receives an F in the American Lung Association’s annual air pollution report for smog and soot produced when burning fossil fuels. (Indianapolis Star)

SOLAR

• Southern Michigan county officials consider a developer’s request for a 1,400-acre solar project that is stirring a familiar debate over property rights and farmland preservation. (MLive)

• A Chicago military high school launches a green jobs pathway program that includes a paid, two-month internship for students to gain skills in solar installations. (Chicago Tribune)

• A 304 MW solar project under construction in southeastern Nebraska would be the state’s largest and generate $1.4 million in local tax revenue annually. (Nebraska Public Media)

POLITICS

• The $60 million FirstEnergy bribery scandal in Ohio is complicating the re-election of Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who served as lieutenant governor during the scheme and was recently called to testify during the criminal trial of former FirstEnergy executives. (Associated Press)

OIL & GAS

• The value of North Dakota oil shipped on the Dakota Access pipeline is up nearly $7 more per barrel than the U.S. benchmark price, which analysts attribute in part to volatility stemming from the war in Iran. (North Dakota Monitor)

UTILITIES

• AES Indiana customers tell state regulators that the utility has failed to explain the reasons behind ongoing increases in their electric bills. (WFYI)

COMMENTARY

• While Xcel Energy’s recently approved plan to deploy 200 MW in distributed energy storage systems represents progress for regulated utilities, ratepayers will be on the hook for costs that would be lower under a competitive market with private developers, writes the Coalition for Community Solar Access. (Utility Dive)