August 8
Minnesota Power to Construct 200-MW Wind Project
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026, contingent on regulatory approvals in North Dakota and Minnesota, for a new 200-megawatt (MW) wind project, according to Minnesota Power, a utility division of ALLETE Inc. The Longspur Wind project – which Minnesota Power plans to build in North Dakota as part of its EnergyForward transition toward a carbon-free energy future – is expected to be operational in late 2027, the company said.
Michigan’s largest energy provider Consumers Energy has tapped global energy storage solutions company Energy Vault to supply two battery energy storage systems (BESS) that will help the utility manage increasing peak demand. The BESS, totaling 75 MW/300 MWh, will be deployed in Iosco and Bay Counties, which would be located in the crook of where your thumb touches your hand if you held it up and did that thing where you pretend it’s a Michigan state map.
Extreme weather is here. Over the past month, the U.S. has experienced dangerous and deadly flash flooding and extreme heat. Projections for the 2025 wildfire season in the Western U.S. indicate significantly increased fire potential driven by drought expansion and above-average temperatures. Meanwhile, the 2025 U.S. tornado season is on track to be above the 30-year historical average, and the NOAA forecasts a 60-percent chance of an above-average hurricane season.
After a decade of urging from clean energy advocates, Duke Energy finally has a plan to let its North Carolina customers access detailed information about their electricity use. Approved by state regulators on July 16, the program has backing from the state customer advocate and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. But critics say unresolved aspects, including the size of the fee Duke charges third parties for data access, will determine its success or failure.
After years of struggling to connect with the public on clean energy goals and climate initiatives, electric utilities are beginning to see a shift in public perception, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2025 Sustainability Index. Today, a growing number of U.S. electric utility customers are now aware of their providers’ efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and deliver clean energy, the American data analytics, software and consumer intelligence company said July 30.
Illinois has big plans for electric vehicles – but they won’t happen unless residents of its biggest city, Chicago, embrace the battery-powered cars. That’s where EV ambassadors like William Davis come in. Davis is one of a handful of community leaders working with utility ComEd under a new program that’s meant to convince skeptical individuals and businesses to electrify, and to connect them with incentives to do so.
As more than 185 million Americans faced extreme heat across the country, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) and the Center on Energy, Poverty and Climate (CEPC) called on the nation’s utility companies to voluntarily suspend shut offs for households unable to pay their energy bills. Currently, only 26 states and the District of Columbia offer any form of cooling assistance, and just 17 states and D.C. have policies protecting low-income families from utility disconnections during the summer.
After years of failing to rein in rapidly rising electricity rates, California lawmakers are hoping a radical new approach – and billions of dollars in state financing – can offer a solution. Bills moving through the California Senate and Assembly would use money raised from state bonds to help pay for the hugely expensive process of expanding the power grid and making it less vulnerable to wildfires.