This newsletter was originally published on November 17, 2017.

Meijer Looking to Tesla eSemis

As Michigan works to be at the forefront of advanced mobility, corporate players are taking steps to show their commitment to future modes of transportation. The most recent announcement is Meijer’s reservation for Tesla eSemis.

“Meijer has always prided itself on being innovative, especially in our fleet and supply chain,” Frank Guglielmi, Meijer spokesman. “We have made a small financial commitment to ensure we are at the front of the line to test this new Tesla truck technology, which has the potential to not only reduce our carbon footprint but also realize cost savings that will allow us to keep prices low for our customers. Once our testing is complete, we will validate several factors, including environmental impact and product safety, and make a decision on whether we will complete the purchase.”

Meijer’s commitment to carbon reduction includes a 60% cut in transportation emissions already.

Generate Capital launches Fremont Digester with Tour

Michigan EIBC member company Generate Capital celebrated the re-opening of the Fremont Regional Digester and demonstrated how to turn organic waste into energy. The company expects to generate enough renewable energy to power 2,500 homes in Michigan.

Now open, the digester can accommodate all types of waste streams and provide complete organic waste management services and create 2.85 MW of green renewable energy from organic waste that is diverted from the landfill.

This tour comes as the Michigan legislature is considering SB 375, a bill that would expand PACE financing to anaerobic digesters like the Fremont Digester.

 

Michigan Energy News:

• DTE Energy announced plans to continue capitalizing on renewable energy opportunities.
• The Michigan Public Service Commission verified that it opposes a state law that would designate that customers who have chosen not to switch to smart meters to suddenly have their power shut off.
• Michigan is home to 1,151 wind turbines and counting.
• A judge ruled against Tuscola Wind in a Thumb-area dispute.
• Michigan EIBC member company 5 Lakes Energy’s Douglas Jester talked time-of-use rates at NARUC Annual Meeting.
• St. Ignace School was recognized for its efforts toward energy efficiency.
• A nonprofit, The Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, is working to build Michigan’s new energy infrastructure with a focus on local clean energy efforts.
• Boyne Resorts will implement energy efficient snow making equipment.
• As plans for commercial-scale solar projects increase in Michigan, local planners across the state are faced with land-use and zoning questions.
• A city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is doing various environmental tests as it plans for a solar project to offset some of its electricity costs. 
• A member community of the Indiana Municipal Power Agency unveils a 2.84-megawatt solar project.
• Agreements are reached to finance and build a 100 MW wind project in northwest Ohio, whose electricity will be sold to General Motors. 
• Residents near Marathon Petroleum refinery complain about the noise. Protesters gather at a Marathon refinery in Detroit urging the company to relocate nearby residents who are concerned about pollution.
• The state of Michigan announced three public feedback sessions on the final version of the Line 5 Alternatives Analysis report.
• A Michigan utility is seeking to reduce the property taxes it’s paying for its coal plants.
• MSU offers autonomous vehicle engineering expertise.
• A study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that gasoline cars would need to average 55.4 mpg to compete with electric cars on efficiency.
• Researchers from the University of Michigan calculate which places are best and worst for EV emissions by analyzing the power grids of 141 countries, with the U.S. falling towards the middle.
• Pending self-driving vehicle legislation could boost Tech research.

 

 

News from Washington:

• A House committee passed a bill designed to boost oil and natural gas drilling on federal lands and off the coasts of Alaska and the Eastern seaboard. Here’s a breakdown of how the House tax bill could affect renewables, electric vehicles and utilities.
• As part of a live video series, Democratic and Republican policy experts discuss whether the U.S. is doing enough to modernize its energy policies to keep pace with other nations.
• A Senate tax bill would keep credits for wind, solar and electric vehicles in place, unlike a House version of the bill that threatened to weaken and repeal the credits. 
• A key Republican senator is working to include a carbon capture tax credit in the Senate’s tax-overhaul. The credit would give companies incentives to expand carbon capture development and infrastructure, which helps cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• Five Democratic senators issued varying levels of support for nuclear power at a climate conference in Bonn, as the industry faces safety concerns, economic challenges in the United States and other hurdles.
• A White House official says Trump advisers and U.S. energy company representatives plan to promote wider use of fossil fuels at a global meeting on climate change this week. 
• Former Environmental Protection Agency attorneys accused EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt of misrepresenting legal settlement practices and work by the agency and the Justice Department, according to an open letter that came after Pruitt rolled out a policy change last month to curb legal settlements with environmental groups, which critics call “sue and settle.”
• EPA Chief Scott Pruitt says a federal climate change report won’t affect the Trump administration’s decision to roll back the Clean Power Plan. 
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Neil Chatterjee says the commission will make a decision by December 11 on whether to support Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants, but an interim plan to support baseload generation is in the works.
• A Peabody Energy lobbyist offered input on the Department of Energy study on how to help coal-fired power plants. 
• Evidence is mounting that a controversial DOE proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants was taken from an industry playbook, with coal company CEO Robert Murray wielding particular influence. 
• A new report outlines ways to make wholesale power markets more reliable without adopting a controversial DOE rule to subsidize coal and nuclear plants.
• A coalition of 20 energy groups and companies asked FERC to scrap a Department of Energy proposal to prop up coal and nuclear plants, saying supporters haven’t shown a legal justification for it. 
• Attendees of an “America first” energy conference in Houston say the Trump administration hasn’t done enough to reverse federal climate policies and regulations.
• The Senate confirmed President Trump’s nomination of a lawyer for the petrochemical industry as the EPA’s new assistant administrator for air and radiation.
• President Trump’s nominee for deputy EPA administrator says he was involved in crafting the DOE’s proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants while still a lobbyist at Murray Energy.
• President Trump’s nominee for top White House environmental official tells the Senate she has doubts about the link between humans and climate change.
• President Trump said his 12-day tour of Asia created $300 billion in sales to companies and several major energy deals. However, many of the agreements are non-binding and analysts are uncertain some of the multi-billion dollar projects will be realized.

Cities & Communities leading in Advanced Energy:

• An alliance of states, cities, businesses and universities says it is committed to combating climate change, but will still need some help at the federal level to reach the goals of the Paris climate accord.
• The Virginia DEQ will present the state’s new climate plan to reduce carbon emissions and join a regional greenhouse gas trading initiative now that its Democratic candidate was elected governor.
• The California Energy Commission adopted a mandate to increase energy efficiency in existing buildings by 50% by 2030. 
• The president of the public utility serving Omaha says it will get half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. 
• Clean, efficient energy can turn Rust Belt communities around.

Grid & Efficiency News:

• A proposed net zero development near Chicago would use solar and geothermal to provide all the energy needs for 500 homes. 
• A new project in Texas will pair a 2 MW lithium-ion battery system with wind power. 
• With Puerto Rico’s electric grid devastated from Hurricane Maria, solar companies, the fossil-fuel industry and others are competing to shape the island’s electric future. 
• Illinois ranks second in the country in a national assessment of how states are modernizing their electricity transmission and distribution systems.
• A professor at the University of Pittsburgh wants to develop a network of wind- and solar-powered microgrids throughout the city.

Solar Energy News:

• By integrating battery storage into its business strategy, Sunrun is one of the few residential solar installers that’s both expanding and turning a profit. 
• The former CEO of residential solar installer Sungevity explains what he learned from bankruptcy. 
• Voters in Denver, Colorado, approved a measure requiring rooftop gardens or solar panels on large new buildings.
• Hawaii regulators approved two new tariffs that offer different incentives for pairing storage with residential solar.
• Houston-based NRG Energy is reportedly seeking $350 million to finance the completion of three Hawaii solar farms that it acquired from bankrupt SunEdison last year. 
• A power company is using solar power to help maintain steady voltage to more than a dozen rural customers in Idaho.
• Chicago-area officials are working to develop models for community solar in urban areas.
• An Illinois township is expected to vote soon on a proposed 2 MW community solar project. 
• Duke Energy provides a $14,600 grant for solar panels to be installed at a group home for disabled residents in Bloomington, Indiana.
• Officials in a Missouri county are debating whether a solar farm on land deeded back to a city should be required to pay property tax. 
• Minnesota’s community solar projects reach 170 MW of capacity.
• Minnesota regulators ruled that rural co-ops have to change the way they calculate fees for solar customers.
• Schools in Minnesota are increasingly investing in solar energy by installing arrays owned by third parties or subscribing to community solar gardens.
• The University of Minnesota-Duluth plans to purchase 10% of the electricity from a utility’s community solar project. 
• Schools in Minnesota are increasingly investing in solar energy by installing arrays owned by third parties or subscribing to community solar gardens. 
• A dedication ceremony next week will celebrate the launch of Missouri’s largest solar array. 
• NV Energy asked Nevada regulators to approve long-term power purchase agreements for three solar projects that would be the cheapest in the country.
• A ruling by Ohio utility regulators is likely to shrink the amount ratepayers are credited for sending excess electricity back to the grid through net metering.
• Oregon’s governor issues an executive order that requires new residential and commercial buildings to be “ready for the installation of solar panels” by 2020 and 2022, respectively.
• Officials in a South Dakota county approve land use changes for a proposed 40 MW solar array.
• A Virginia-based charity and other groups are working to bring solar power to hurricane-ravaged areas of the Caribbean in a venture called Solar Saves Lives.
• Two years after its creation, a Virginia solar authority aimed at encouraging small-scale systems remains unfunded and has little to show for its work. 
• Advocates say job growth is changing the politics around solar energy in Wisconsin.

Wind Energy News:

• Poor quarterly earnings from two major wind companies indicate their struggles to adapt to dropping prices for the power source and lower government subsidies and tax incentives.
• A wind systems developer wants to pair batteries with individual turbines to reduce power fluctuations.
• Colorado’s wind industry is nervous about pending projects totaling $1.1 billion, as the House and Senate debate over whether to alter renewable energy tax credits. 
• MidAmerican Energy says a plan in the U.S. House to scale back the production tax credit would impact its $3.6 billion plan to expand wind energy in Iowa.
• Wisconsin regulators approve a utility’s plan to build a new wind farm in Iowa.
• A 139-turbine wind project near Decatur, Illinois, is expected to be operational by the end of the year. 
• Supporters and opponents make their cases at a public hearing on the first offshore wind project in Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio. 
• Agreements are reached to finance and build a 100 MW wind project in northwest Ohio, whose electricity will be sold to General Motors.
• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is conducting aerial surveys of wildlife off the coasts of North and South Carolina to help with the process of siting future offshore wind developments.
• Vermont clean energy advocates say new rules to limit noise from turbines will “have a chilling effect on wind energy” in the state, while opponent insists noise levels are still too high. 

Bioenergy News:

• Federal investigators issue subpoenas for information on investor Carl Icahn’s efforts to change biofuel policy while serving as an adviser to President Trump.
• Indiana University installs a bioreactor to convert carbon emissions captured from its heating plant into fertilizer.
• Missouri Senator Clair McCaskill wants permanent duties on imported biodiesel. 
• A Wisconsin county plans to stop generating electricity from landfill gas and instead sell it for use as transportation fuel.

Fossil Fuel & Nuclear Energy News:

• A group of 37 scientists send a letter asking two U.S. senators not to open Alaska’s National Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, saying drilling there would be “incompatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established.”
• A bill calling for at least two major lease sales in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would generate $2 billion in oil and gas royalties over the next decade, according to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. 
• Alaska announces a deal with three Chinese companies for a $43 billion project that would transport natural gas through a pipeline to Alaska’s coast, where it would be liquefied and shipped to Asia. 
• A geologist says a proposed injection well in Kansas won’t pose an earthquake risk.
• A landowner in North Dakota’s Badlands seeks to protect the scenic area from oil and gas development.
• An analysis explains why much of an $84 billion shale gas deal between West Virginia and China will probably never materialize. 
• At an event in Chicago, the author of a Department of Energy reliability report says she was pressured to play up claims that regulations were to blame for coal plants closing.
• FERC chairman Neil Chatterjee met with Ohio-based FirstEnergy last week to discuss federal plans to support coal and nuclear plants.
• Long-term prospects are still bleak for the U.S. coal industry one year after President Trump was elected on a promise to revive it.
• A study funded by coal giant Peabody Energy claims shutting down Arizona’s massive Navajo Generating Station could cause blackouts from Phoenix to Los Angeles. 
• Dynegy and advocacy groups disagree over whether legislation being considered by Illinois lawmakers constitutes a bailout for the company’s downstate coal plants.
• A Missouri utility seeks to retire one of its main coal plants a decade early as it adds more wind power. 
• Georgia Power’s CEO says delays and budget overruns at the Vogtle nuclear plant are not the company’s fault, as state regulators consider the utility’s new budget and schedule.
• South Carolina’s House speaker is proposing to “gut existing laws” that allowed utilities to charge customers before the now-failed Summer nuclear project was complete.
• SCANA is fully abandoning the Summer nuclear project by the end of the year in order to apply for a roughly $2 billion tax deduction, which officials say will be passed on to electric customers in South Carolina. 

Technology & Market News:

• Amazon is seeking a discount on its utility bills as it plans 12 more data centers in central Ohio.
• General Electric could exit the oil and gas industry and its role in renewable energy is somewhat uncertain, the chief executive said. The announcement sent shares to a five-year low.

Advanced Lighting News:

• Optics and photonics make waves in two smart-car joint ventures.
• Samsung rolled out COB LEDs with enhanced color and white rendering.
• The city of Winona, Minnesota plans to convert 2,500 streetlights to LEDs.
• The Department of Energy published the first in a series of reports on connected LED lighting.

 

Michigan Energy Events:

Michigan EIBC is hosting a Wind 101 Lunch & Learn on November 28 for legislators and legislative staff. Sign up here.

You’re invited to the CHP Tour & Roundtable in Partnership with the Institute for Energy Innovation and U-M Energy Institute. The CHP Tour & Roundtable is on December 11 in Ann Arbor. Register here.

Celebrate the Biggest Year of PACE Yet with Lean & Green Michigan. You are invited to a holiday open house at the Levin Energy Partners office in Eastern Market on Thursday, December 14, in Detroit. Fun, food and beverages will be provided. Please RSVP here.

 

National Energy Events:

EUCI invites you to “An Introduction to Electric Utility Systems,” December 7 – 8 in San Diego, California. This seminar is targeted toward increasing the knowledge of non-technical staff who work or have an interest in the electric utility industry. Participants who are not familiar with utilities and electric power systems can significantly benefit from attending. Since this is a basic seminar, a prior background in electric utility systems or engineering is not expected or required. Register here.

EUCI invites you to the Electric Vehicle-Utility Industry Nexus on December 11-12 in Anaheim, California. This conference addresses critical considerations, opportunities and challenges regarding electric vehicles from the utility perspective. RSVP here.
 
The U.S. Energy Storage Summit 2017 is taking place December 12-13 in San Francisco. Now in its third year, this event brings together utilities, financiers, regulators, technology innovators, and storage practitioners for two full days of data-intensive presentations, analyst-led panel sessions with industry leaders, and extensive, high-level networking.

Registration is now open for the 2017 Veteran’s Energy Seminar on December 14 in Chicago. This one-day training for military veterans and reservists will include classroom sessions and panels on global energy security challenges. Learn more and register to attend by clicking here.

Mark your calendar for the 5th National Conference on Next Generation Demand Response on February 7-8, in San Diego, California. For more information, and to register, visit the event website here.

With more than 650 attendees, MES is the region’s largest energy efficiency event and an unparalleled networking opportunity. February 7-9, 2018 MEEA will be holding their annual 2018 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference at the Chicago Hilton & Towers. MES is about celebrating accomplishments in energy efficiency, as well as laying out the efficiency program and policy landscape for the coming year.

 

Additional Resources:

A website from the Michigan Public Service Commission provides details on updates to state energy laws. For more information, or to sign up for notifications, visit www.michigan.gov/energylegislation.