Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Indiana:
- More than $330,000 available in winter energy bill assistance for Duke Energy Indiana customers
Duke Energy Indiana set aside over $330,000 for customers facing difficulty paying their winter electricity bills. Customers who qualify for this aid can be granted about $300 to use for their energy bills. The company is also providing these individuals with energy and money-saving tips. The reason this assistance is possible is due to Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund, which aims to bring struggling communities together.
Michigan:
- DTE Energy receives approval from Michigan Public Service Commission to further modernize natural gas infrastructure
DTE Energy plans to modernize their natural gas infrastructure, and they are set to receive $84 million to aid with these efforts. Their current system provides gas to over 1 million Michigan residents. In addition, the company is also currently offering various programs and forms of assistance for families that have difficulty paying energy bills.
Minnesota:
- Rural Minnesota hit hard by high cost of propane
Roughly 10% of Minnesota’s residents rely on propane to warm up their homes during the wintertime. However, the product recently went up in price, causing many of these individuals to struggle with affording it for the upcoming season. In fact, the price has shot up over 60% from last year. Unlike electricity or natural gas, the government doesn’t regulate the price of propane, allowing the market to determine the price of this good.
Pennsylvania:
- Pennsylvania braces for huge energy price hikes as winter looms
Starting earlier this month, energy prices in Pennsylvania were set to rise up to 50% in certain areas of the state. Specific companies like PPL Electric Utilities project a 26% increase in energy costs, while others like Pike County Light & Power may see an increase of roughly 50%.
National:
- Biden Orders Federal Vehicles and Buildings to Use Renewable Energy by 2050
Biden requires all government vehicles and buildings to utilize renewable energy by the year 2050. His intention behind this is to help motivate and propel markets to adopt green energy. However, it could be very difficult for this timeline to be followed and Biden’s specific goals to be met.
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Featured image: A CSX Transportation locomotive pulls a train of tank cars across a bridge on the Hudson River along the edge of Bear Mountain State Park near Fort Montgomery, N.Y., on April 26, 2018. Railroads are warning investors that freight shipments will continue to fall this year as the Trump administration’s trade fights hamper exports and cheap natural gas causes coal deliveries to dwindle. CSX and Union Pacific both reported a slowdown in freight hauling during the second quarter of 2021. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
