** Detroit-based Hercules Electric Vehicles is opening a $20 million Series A investment round to support product development, add employees, and scout for locations for facilities to produce components such as solid-state batteries. It is developing an electric sport pickup truck expected to be available late next year.
** Construction is expected to begin soon on a $5 million soybean crushing plant at the Ag Innovation Campus being built in Crookston, Minnesota, reports the Grand Forks Herald.
** Acting on direction from Gov. Janet Mills, Maine’s marine resources commissioner on Wednesday asked captains who fish along a planned wind turbine cable survey route to voluntarily haul their gear, or he would have to tell the Marine Patrol to move it out of the way.
** Renewable energy investors are reassessing their plans in Texas after last month’s winter storm froze some wind power projects and left their complex financing arrangements in a shambles. The disarray threatens to hold back development in the largest American wind power market, undermining US goals to drive down carbon emissions.
** California’s power utilities have asked state officials to reduce the amount of money homeowners make selling excess electricity from rooftop solar panels into the grid, a proposal that could slow widespread solar adoption.
** South Dakota regulators consider statewide rule changes that would require utilities to file decommissioning plans for solar projects.
A planned 350-mile underground transmission project from Iowa to Chicago faces at least a year long delay because of a slow interconnection process.
** FERC denies an effort to halt construction along the Mountain Valley Pipeline, over the objections of its Democratic members.
** EPA Administrator Michael Regan spoke at a number of events Wednesday where he committed to “aggressive” tailpipe emissions standards in line with the administration’s climate goals, keeping agriculture at the table as the administration pursues those goals and advancing Biden’s Justice40 initiative.