Back
Minnesota solar developers frustrated with the process of connecting projects to the electric grid will soon have a new place to turn to answer questions and resolve disputes.
State lawmakers recently passed legislation calling on the state Public Utilities Commission to hire an interconnection ombudsperson to provide clean energy companies with information, guidance, and mediation on connecting projects of 10 megawatts and less to the grid.
The legislation follows years of complaints by solar companies about disputes with utilities, Xcel Energy in particular, that have contributed to years-long delays for some projects to connect.
“We hope that we can create a role dedicated to understanding the entire interconnection process and help manage those disagreements when they arise,” said Logan O’Grady, executive director of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association.
The legislation says the ombudsperson will track disputes and serve as a mediator between customers and investor-owned utilities. They will be expected to review policies, convene stakeholder groups, and assess ways to reduce conflicts.
O’Grady said customers, installers, and developers could contact the ombudsperson for assistance on issues involving rooftop, commercial, or community solar projects.
The ombudsperson would not eliminate the state’s existing dispute process for interconnection issues, which can take over a month and require mediation if unresolved issues remain.
O’Grady said he hopes having an interconnection ombudsperson will more efficiently resolve some disputes and provide a new option for developers that haven’t wanted to deal with the time and attention required to file a formal complaint.
Solar developers’ complaints have varied, but some involve inaccurate information leading to “weeks of back and forth to get clarity on a simple misunderstanding,” O’Grady said. The hope is that an ombudsperson with experience in the industry could more efficiently answer those questions or know who to contact in utilities to provide guidance.
State Rep. Patty Acomb, a suburban Democrat and chair of Climate and Energy Finance and Policy committee, said the ombudsperson’s work is less likely to draw skepticism because it comes from an independent source.
Solar company leaders support the new position. Bobby King, Minnesota program director for Solar United Neighbors, said the ombudsperson could “centralize” information, advocate for interconnection, create solutions to improve the process and avoid litigation. “I think it’s a positive step in the right direction,” King said.
Michael Allen, CEO of All Energy Solar, said the ombudsperson would provide “unbiased information” to the Commerce Department, the Public Utilities Commission, installers, and utilities. He also believes an ombudsperson could reduce the number of disputes that reach the Public Utilities Commission.
Marty Morud, CEO and owner of TruNorth Solar, said he’d had few issues with Xcel but sees an ombudsperson as a source for helping move utilities to respond if installer emails and phone calls go unanswered.
More than a dozen states already have positions similar to interconnection ombudspersons, including California, Massachusetts and New York. Sky Stanfield, a lawyer who works with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, said states approach the ombudsperson differently, not all requiring them to have the technical skills Minnesota seeks.
She said that having someone see all the disputes and detect patterns could also help the Public Utilities Commission target rulemaking in problem areas.
“I do think having a person whose job is to stay up to date on what is happening seems to me like a positive step,” Stanfield said.
To be effective, the ombudsperson must be “empowered” by the Public Utilities Commission and accepted as an objective mediator by utilities and clean energy developers, she said.
The Legislature created an initial $150,000 budget. The ombudsperson position, which has not been posted, is expected to be filled later this year.
BUILDINGS: In New Hampshire, a bill on the governor’s desk would update much of the state’s building code except for its energy efficiency provisions, leaving those at an earlier standard because of claims that home costs would rise. (NHPR)
ALSO:
WIND: As developers wait to learn the results of a multi-state offshore wind project solicitation, one developer strikes up memoranda of understanding with two Connecticut businesses for their services during construction. (The Day)
GRID:
FOSSIL FUELS:
NUCLEAR: Constellation Energy acknowledges amid speculation that it’s possible to restart unit 1 at Three Mile Island but that no decisions have been made. (WTAE)
SOLAR:
POLICY:
WORKFORCE: A $2 million federal grant will help a Maryland community development agency help expand the state’s energy efficiency workforce to make more upgrades at low-income households. (news release)
POLITICS: Mississippi Republicans rush to embrace an electric vehicle factory near the Tennessee state line that’s the single largest payroll commitment in state history, but which was made possible by federal legislation they opposed and which Donald Trump has promised to roll back. (Mississippi Today)
ALSO:
OIL & GAS: Dominion Energy pushes to build a natural gas-fired power plant in Virginia that’s generating resistance from local residents as the state seeks to meet both its clean energy goals and growing power demand. (Virginia Mercury)
SOLAR:
EMISSIONS: A U.S. Army fort in Georgia signs an agreement with Georgia Power to replace its diesel energy system with natural gas and make other improvements to its mechanical and lighting systems to reduce its carbon footprint. (Augusta Chronicle)
CLIMATE:
NUCLEAR: A Virginia company partners with NASA to develop fuel and components for nuclear-powered spaceships that could replace traditional chemical rockets. (Cardinal News)
COMMENTARY:
Correction: Starke County, Indiana, officials last week denied a claim by residents that documentation for a proposed solar project is missing. An earlier version of this digest incorrectly identified the county.
SOLAR: Two developers pursuing solar projects in Ohio are proactively meeting with communities early in the development process in an effort to boost their chances with state regulators. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
EMISSIONS:
COAL: Northern Wisconsin coal plants are being replaced by natural gas and renewable energy as utilities prepare to comply with federal regulations. (WXPR)
GRID:
CLIMATE:
WIND:
HYDROELECTRIC: Hundreds of dams across the Upper Midwest are at growing risk of failure as they age and face more pressure from extreme weather. (Inside Climate News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Professional racing league NASCAR, while still heavily reliant on internal combustion vehicles, releases a prototype all-electric race car at an event in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)
COMMENTARY: A Wisconsin clean energy advocate says the state’s solar energy boom will provide an economic jolt to rural communities. (Door County Pulse)
CLEAN ENERGY: The Inflation Reduction Act has spurred billions of dollars in clean energy investment as it nears its second birthday, and forthcoming tax credit guidance is set to further accelerate its impact. (Utility Dive)
BUILDINGS:
OVERSIGHT: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission started 2024 with only three of five commissioners but managed to enact major transmission, cost allocation and other rules in the first half of the year. (Utility Dive)
WORKFORCE: A $60 million federal program will fund nine training efforts across 10 states to prepare workers for climate resilience-boosting jobs. (Inside Climate News)
CLIMATE:
STORAGE: Residential and utility-scale energy storage development is off to a strong start this year, on pace to break development records. (Canary Media)
SOLAR:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR: The Gila River Indian Community nears completion of a 1.3 MW solar installation over an irrigation canal in central Arizona. (Canary Media)
ALSO:
CARBON CAPTURE: A company proposes sequestering captured carbon under 605,000 acres of mostly federal land in southwestern Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily)
CLIMATE:
UTILITIES: Hawaiian Electric plans to retire 88 MW of fossil fuel generation by 2030, citing aging facilities and tightening environmental regulations. (Maui Now)
GRID:
HYDROPOWER: California’s grid operator declares its first transmission emergency of the summer after a wildfire forces a key hydropower facility offline. (RTO Insider, subscription)
OIL & GAS:
COMMENTARY: A New Mexico advocate says state energy transition funding for a solar-powered irrigation pump for Indigenous farmers is “paving the way for a brighter future.” (Santa Fe New Mexican)
Solar developers are hoping that listening to local communities in Ohio early in the design stage will boost their chances for success before state regulators.
“We are really invested in and committed to being good neighbors,” said Lindsey Workman, community affairs manager for Vesper Energy. The company held three meet-and-greet sessions in Greene County this spring for its proposed Aviation Energy Center project, in addition to earlier meetings with trustees for several townships.
Another developer, Open Road Renewables, also hosted listening tour sessions this spring to learn about community issues and residents’ concerns related to its proposed Grange Solar project in Logan County. The meetings began at the end of April and ran through June.
The companies’ proactive community engagement approach comes as some Ohio solar projects have faced significant local opposition, often stoked by fossil fuel interests. State policy under a 2021 law known as Senate Bill 52 also has empowered anti-solar groups to ban many renewable energy projects or pressure local elected officials to oppose them.
“I think it will be a trend,” to seek community input early on, especially if it helps lessen local opposition, said Jane Harf, executive director for Green Energy Ohio, which counts multiple solar developers among its members. At the same time, “it’s really hard to quantify opposition,” Harf added. A minority of opponents can be much more vocal and apply more pressure to local officials than a majority of people who are supporters or just neutral.
“And [there] is a lot of organized opposition,” Harf said. “This isn’t just grassroots. This is being fed by national organizations.”
Open Road Renewables currently faces challenges from two opposition groups relating to its proposed Frasier Solar Project in Knox County. The Energy News Network has reported on links between speakers for one of the groups and pro-fossil fuel interests.
Vesper Energy faced opposition for its proposed Kingwood Solar project in Greene County, which led the the Ohio Power Siting Board to reject the company’s application based on substantial local opposition. The case is before the Ohio Supreme Court on appeal. The company argues, in essence, that the board’s legal responsibility to determine the public interest extends beyond assessing how popular a project appears to be locally based on the numbers of comments for and against it.
These companies hope that early, proactive outreach to the community can help smooth the paths for their latest projects before they begin the formal power siting board process.
“We’ve been putting a very heavy emphasis on public engagement and, more importantly, listening to concerns from as many stakeholders as we can in the community,” said Doug Herling, a vice president for Open Road Renewables.
Patricia Hicks heads Outcomes Management Group, a Columbus-based consulting firm, which helped run the listening sessions for Open Road Renewables. The team aimed to invite people representing a broad spectrum within the county.
“You want to make sure that you don’t just get one group of people providing information,” she said. “You don’t want to have a biased listening group.”
During the sessions, small groups were also asked both closed- and open-ended questions. Hicks’ firm is working now to finalize a report on the feedback, both positive and negative.
While companies say footprints for the Aviation Energy Center and Grange Solar projects have not yet been finalized, they say insights from the community input will help guide how those boundaries are determined.
Open Road Renewables plans to use the report from Hicks’ firm to develop a set of commitments to the community. Getting feedback earlier in the process can help the company tailor the project to deal with specific concerns, versus waiting to negotiate more permit conditions later, Herling said.
The final report from Outcomes Management Group will also help the company make the community concerns section of the project’s power siting board application more robust, Herling said. Hicks expects the work also will help the company in future communication efforts relating to the project.
Vesper Energy has already committed that the Aviation Energy Center project won’t border nonparticipating landowners’ properties on more than one side, Workman said. Setbacks from residential property lines, state parks and other public lands also will range from 300 to 500 feet, which is more than Ohio Power Siting Board rules require.
“We care about the feedback, and that’s what we heard,” Workman said.
Workman said Vesper Energy is willing to make similar commitments if it wins the Kingwood Solar case on appeal. She noted the company also has donated nearly $40,000 in the past year to support work in Greene County by various nonprofit groups, including the Ohio State Parks Foundation, Camp Clifton 4-H Camp, Yellow Springs Community Foundation, Family Promise of Greene County, and Greene County FISH Pantry.
“There’s no strings,” Workman said. “We’re trying to make sure that we become good neighbors.”
Such strategies are also bets that listening now can save headaches later.
Attendees and others have praised the companies’ approach, but it’s too soon to say how successful it will be.
Logan County Administrator David Henry didn’t attend the Grange Solar sessions in person and said he isn’t in a position to speak for or against the project. He added that new, non-grandfathered projects are banned for unincorporated areas of most of the county’s townships under SB 52. Nonetheless, Henry commended Open Road Renewables for holding the sessions about the proposed project.
“I will say that I’m glad that Open Road Renewables is allowing the public to have their input on it both positively and negatively — they’ve had plenty of both,” Henry said. “I think that’s a good idea on their part to let people have their voice heard.”
Members of the Greene County Board of Commissioners would not comment for this story due to ongoing litigation, said Ashley Schommer at the Greene County offices. The county is one of the intervenors against the Kingwood Solar project in Vesper Energy’s appeal.
“Vesper seems interested in listening to community feedback and seeing what it can do to be a cooperative business entity,” said Kate LeVesconte, a local resident who is part of a local pro-solar group. “I think that is a really good idea when it is interacting with legitimate concerns and not disinformation-driven fear.”
Unfortunately, LeVesconte added, she hears a lot of false information, such as claims about contamination, arguments about whether farmland can eventually be restored and more.
“We’re still facing an uphill battle regarding this relatively conservative area feeling that solar farms are probably not good for prime agricultural land,” she said.
Real estate agent Chris Blosser, who attended one of the four listening sessions Open Road Renewables hosted in Logan County, said the company “is doing everything right, and they’re covering all their bases. They’re doing things to address people’s concerns.”
She gave the example of the company committing to provide an upfront bond to restore the property at the end of the project’s lifespan.
“Unfortunately, there’s quite an organized effort to fight this installation,” Blosser said. Others at the listening session she attended had already gone to some anti-solar meetings. “And they had information that had been spoon-fed to them.”
A large percentage of people who attended the Open Road Renewables sessions or answered its online survey said they got their news from social media, Hicks said. As a result, many were relying on information that hadn’t been verified.
At the same time, many people at the meetings did want to ask questions, she noted. And if people were able to remain open-minded, they could see potential benefits from the project, Hicks said. Beyond asking about concerns, attendees were asked how they would want to see company payments used in the community. The responses included new insights for the company to consider.
“Listening brings all kinds of interesting discoveries,” Hicks said.
Meanwhile, opponents of utility-scale solar projects have been hosting their own meetings to stir up discontent.
For example, Citizens for Greene Acres is an opponent of Vesper Energy in the Kingwood Solar case, and most of its activities so far have focused on that project.
And in Logan County, a group called Indian Lake Against Industrial Solar has mobilized to oppose Open Road Renewables’ Grange Solar project. The county has already had experience with two other anti-solar groups opposing the proposed Fountain Point solar farm: No Solar in Logan County and Citizens against Fountain Point.
“Developers in the solar industry earn trust in communities by communicating proactively with interested parties and addressing questions posed by community members,” said Will Hinman, executive director for the Utility Scale Solar Energy Coalition of Ohio. Conversations start before applications are filed and continue throughout projects’ siting, construction and operational phases.
For now, Vesper Energy and Open Road Renewables hope their efforts and planned follow-up will lay the groundwork for that trust.
Grange Solar and the Aviation Energy Center are both in the early stages. Both developers’ efforts come before two public information meetings they will need to hold before filing formal applications for the projects. The updated Ohio Power Siting Board rule took effect on May 30.
Open Road Renewables plans to submit its application sometime in September, Herling said. The company expects it might then get a decision from the Ohio Power Siting Board by the end of next year.
Vesper Energy doesn’t have a definitive timeline yet for the Aviation Energy Center or the Kingwood Solar project. “This commitment to community collaboration is our guiding principle,” Workman said. “Our goal is to get it right, however long that takes.”
WIND: Federal officials give their approval for the 2.8 GW Atlantic Shores project, the first offshore wind facility in New Jersey. (Power Technology, NJ Biz)
ALSO: A developer begins a $200 million repowering project at a wind project in Pennsylvania’s Somerset County, an upgrade that should raise its 139 MW generation capacity by 30%. (news release)
GRID: Avangrid and Barnstable, Massachusetts, reach an agreement allowing the developer to lay power cables at a beach and under a river in exchange for numerous financial guarantees, like compensation for businesses harmed during construction. (Barnstable Patriot)
SOLAR: In southern Maine, vandalism at an under-construction solar project causes an estimated half-million dollars in damage expected to delay the site’s operations by weeks; a police investigation is underway. (WMTW)
RENEWABLE POWER: A New York county will decide whether to opt out of a state law exempting commercial renewable energy projects from property taxes, which would simplify the tax structure of such facilities but disincentivize developers from selecting sites there. (Syracuse.com)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Harvard climate fellow is using artificial intelligence to better understand drivers’ hesitancy to transition to electric vehicles, scanning charging station reviews to uncover preferences and problems. (Boston Globe)
CLIMATE:
TRANSIT: New York lawmakers mull a lower base fee or dynamic pricing for the Manhattan congestion pricing program to persuade the governor to allow the program to go ahead, though former President Donald Trump’s potential return to office could kill the plan anyway. (Gothamist)
PIPELINES: A Pennsylvania environmental resources hearing attracts several advocates concerned with how a proposed gas pipeline in Lycoming County would impact local trails, wetlands, trout streams and sediment. (Penn Live Patriot-News)
FLOODS:
COMMENTARY:
COAL: Unprecedented federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping Southwest Virginia diversify its economy through redevelopment of abandoned mine land sites. (Virginia Mercury)
CLIMATE: Austin, Texas’ city council considers asking voters to approve a climate bond to help pay for projects related to the city’s climate goals, but the mayor wants to delay the process until 2026. (KXAN)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Rivian reports that it sold more electric vehicles than it manufactured in the last quarter, during which the company also reiterated its plans to build a factory in Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
SOLAR:
OIL & GAS: Texas oil and gas regulators ask the state’s attorney general to sue the U.S. EPA over its decision to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered. (E&E News, subscription)
UTILITIES: Entergy New Orleans promotes a new vice president of regulatory and public affairs who will lead the company’s engagement with the New Orleans City Council. (news release)
POLITICS: Florida Congressmember Anna Paulina Luna has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into a political donor’s oil and gas company. (Tampa Bay Times)
COMMENTARY:
OIL & GAS: After a judge ends the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas projects, observers say the 6-month delay may end up being “little more than a speed bump” for the growing industry, as it didn’t affect terminals under construction and only delayed a few projects. (Grist)
ALSO:
STORAGE: A national clean energy group releases a model ordinance for local governments to use for regulating the permitting, siting, safety and decommissioning of energy storage systems. (Utility Dive)
EMISSIONS: Google says its greenhouse gas emissions have jumped 48% over the past five years, in part because of its implementation of AI. (The Guardian)
WIND: Federal officials give their approval for the 2.8 GW Atlantic Shores project, the first offshore wind facility in New Jersey. (Power Technology, NJ Biz)
SOLAR: The U.S. Supreme Court orders a lower court to reconsider a 2023 ruling affirming federal regulators’ approval of a solar-plus-storage facility in Montana after overturning the Chevron deference doctrine. (E&E News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
CARBON CAPTURE: A Western governors group’s decarbonization report calls for pioneering industrial and natural carbon capture and sequestration efforts, but says little about reducing fossil fuel burning or transitioning to clean energy. (Inside Climate News)
PIPELINES: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum could play a key role in deciding whether a carbon pipeline can move forward, as his political profile rises and he balances donor influence and landowner opposition. (CNN)
COAL: Unprecedented federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping Southwest Virginia diversify its economy through redevelopment of abandoned mine land sites. (Virginia Mercury)
GEOTHERMAL: A Colorado report predicts state investment will spur industry to develop several utility-scale geothermal electricity plants in coming years. (Colorado Sun)
.svg)
