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EGEB: Minnesota wins by compromising over a wind and solar farm and a historic site

Electrek

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB): A big clean energy project will go forward in Minnesota without impacting an ancient site. UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

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EGEB: Minnesota’s largest utility files to replace coal plants with huge solar

Electrek

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB): Xcel Energy has filed to replace its coal plants with what would be the largest solar farm in Minnesota. UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates.

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Sustainable Rail International, U of Minnesota partner to develop most powerful carbon-neutral locomotive, using new steam engine and biocoal

Green Car Congress

The locomotive will run on torrefied biomass (biocoal), a biofuel created through an energy-efficient processing of cellulosic biomass. Biocoal exhibits the same energy density and material handling properties as coal, but unlike coal, it is carbon-neutral, contains no heavy metals, and produces less ash, smoke and volatile off-gases.

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This utility in the US Midwest is going to add 3.6 GW of wind and solar

Baua Electric

Photo: Xcel Energy Xcel Energy just announced its big solar and wind plans in the US Midwest – here’s the lowdown. Minnesota’s largest utility expects to cut more than 80% – and possibly up to 88% – of its emissions by 2030, putting it on track to hit Minnesota’s goal of net zero by 2040. Get started here. –

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The first entirely US-made crystalline solar panels are coming to market

Baua Electric

Canada-headquartered Heliene , which makes solar panels in Minnesota, will incorporate Georgia-based Suniva’s US-made monocrystalline silicon solar cells into its panels, and those “Made in the USA” panels will hit the market in mid-2024, thanks to a new three-year strategic sourcing contract between the two companies. Get started here. –ad*

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US wind generation fell in 2023 for the first time since the 1990s

Baua Electric

gigawatts (GW) of new wind capacity last year, but data from the US Energy Information Administration’s “ Power Plant Operations Report ” show that US wind generation in 2023 totaled 425,235 gigawatt-hours (GWh) – 2.1% Annual US power generation from wind turbines declined in 2023 for the first time since the mid-1990s – here’s why.

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Here’s how utility-scale solar farms may just help save the bees

Baua Electric

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory wanted to understand how insect pollinators respond to utility solar farms planted with native grasses and wildflowers. The two solar farms were planted with native grasses and wildflowers in early 2018. Get started here.

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