Nebraska Keystone XL hearings will not consider market need for project

CLEAN ENERGY: A Michigan-based developer is basing future plans on a ​“new affordability” model that combines affordable rents, clean energy and access to public transportation. (Midwest Energy News)

BIOFUELS: Starting in May, biofuels in Minnesota will need to contain a mix of 20 percent soybeans or other renewable sources, which officials say will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tons next year. (Minnesota Public Radio)

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PIPELINES:
• Nebraska regulators begin hearings next week on whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline through the state, though they will not accept testimony on whether there is a market need for the project. (Reuters)
• Market conditions, the emergence of competing pipelines and opposition in the state of Nebraska are preventing Keystone XL from moving forward. (InsideClimate News)
• Keystone XL critics in Nebraska focus on the company’s use of eminent domain — not climate change — when building opposition to the project. (Bloomberg)
• South Dakota is reimbursed more than $500,000 for the costs of sending law enforcement to help with Dakota Access pipeline protests last year. (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)

REGULATION: Lawmakers approve the appointment of a Senate aide on energy and a utility regulator from Pennsylvania to vacant positions on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, restoring a voting quorum. (Associated Press)

WIND: Wisconsin-based Alliant Energy proposes a new 500-megawatt wind project in Iowa. (Wisconsin State Journal)

SOLAR: A Chicago-area community college completes a rooftop solar project. (Chicago Tribune)

OIL AND GAS:
• The ​“cozy relationship” between gas and electric companies and the builders of new natural gas pipelines are driving the surge of new projects. (InsideClimate News)
• Republican lawmakers from North Dakota are supporting a bill to make it easier for some oil and gas recovery projects to claim carbon sequestration tax credits. (Williston Herald)

RENEWABLES: The scientific debate over getting to 100 percent renewables often misses the discussion of creating efficiencies across different sectors in the energy system. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new EV charging station installed outside the Michigan Public Service Commission will be the first in the state to charge drivers by kilowatt-hour rather than an hourly rate. (MLive)

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WIND: Lawmakers propose an investment tax credit specifically for offshore wind, which could apply to projects in the Great Lakes. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY:
• A local official in Wisconsin explains why Dane County ​“wants to do its part to address the risks of climate change and go beyond the modest goals of the Paris Accord.” (Madison Capital Times)
• Researchers say the price trajectory of wind energy should determine how long to continue offering subsidies for the energy source. (The Conversation)