Nebraska to pursue net-zero emissions goal by 2050

EMISSIONS:
• Nebraska Public Power District, the state’s largest utility, adopts a nonbinding decarbonization goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, making it the first Republican-controlled state with such a target. (Grist)
• The vote was years in the making as clean energy advocates sought representation on the boards of Nebraska’s three main utilities. (E&E News)

ALSO: Chicago is among a growing number of U.S. cities examining the potential of building electrification to help reduce emissions. (Smart Cities Dive)

UTILITIES:
• In a shareholder civil lawsuit in federal court, lawyers for a former FirstEnergy executive seek extensive records from dark money nonprofit groups involved with a major public corruption case. (Columbus Dispatch)
• Ameren Missouri meets with state regulators and consumer advocates to discuss spreading the costs of a $220 million rate increase among residential and industrial customers. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

AVIATION: Southwest Airlines signals plans to create a ​“chief sustainability hub” at Kansas City International Airport, where it would test new emission-reduction technologies as airport officials pursue clean energy projects. (Flatland)

SOLAR:
• A 20 MW solar project will help a southeastern Michigan township power its entire operations with renewable energy. (MLive)
• County officials advance plans for a 275-acre solar project in northwestern Ohio. (Crescent-News)
• Student organizations at the University of Wisconsin seek to install solar panels on the roofs of campus bus shelters to help raise sustainability awareness. (Badger Herald)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• General Motors forms two new partnerships with materials suppliers to help the automaker achieve its electric vehicle production goals. (Detroit News)
• An Iowa municipal utility installs three publicly available Level 2 charging stations with help from Volkswagen settlement funds. (Globe Gazette)
• Prices of lithium-ion battery packs have steadily declined over the past decade, giving analysts hope that electric vehicles will soon reach price parity with gasoline-powered models. (Inside Climate News)

HYDROGEN: Officials from North Dakota’s three coal-producing counties urge the state to hold off on financial support for a high-profile hydrogen project that’s seeking $100 million in state funding. (Inforum)

HYDROELECTRIC: The owner of a hydroelectric dam in southwestern Michigan has abandoned plans to remove large amounts of sediment from the Kalamazoo River, state officials say. (WMUK)

COMMENTARY: A solar engineer and consultant says ​“extreme misinformation and distortions” helped lead a Kansas county to adopt overly restrictive zoning regulations that could shut out development. (Kansas City Star)