Brian Martucci
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Articles by Brian Martucci
Federal wind energy freeze could cost Minnesota $1.6 billion
A report claims the Trump administration's halt on wind energy reviews jeopardizes thousands of jobs and millions in economic impact for Minnesota. Four Minnesota wind projects, which could power hundreds of thousands of homes, are at risk due to the apparent freeze. President Trump has expressed a strong opposition to wind turbines, and his administration has taken steps to slow or stop new projects.
Report: Trump administration stopping four Minnesota wind power developments Original
The Trump administration’s de facto freeze on wind energy puts 1,200 construction jobs, 4,400 “indirect and induced” jobs and more than $168 million in economic impact at risk for Minnesota, according to a new report from a St. Paul-based progressive think tank. The U.S. Department of Defense has stopped completing the mandated — and once-routine — national security review process for proposed wind farms.
On the Market: Commercial properties with options
Listen to this article The Blueprint Shakopee’s former auto dealership sits on 4.66 acres with flexible C-1 zoning for a variety of commercial uses. A renovated north Minneapolis commercial building offers redevelopment potential near the Upper Harbor Terminal project. Chaska’s turnkey day care property features recent renovations, ADA upgrades and zoning that supports multiple future uses.
Illinois regulators approve ComEd VPP under new clean energy law Original
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved Commonwealth Edison’s proposal for a battery-based “scheduled dispatch virtual power plant,” or SDVPP, the Chicago-area utility said last week. The program replaces a previous, more limited VPP proposal ComEd withdrew in November following the passage of Illinois’s landmark Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act.
Schneider expands its remote-service EcoCare plan to mission-critical systems
This story was originally published on Facilities Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Facilities Dive newsletter. Schneider Electric is expanding its remote monitoring service plan called EcoCare to include additional support for customers' power systems in mission-critical facilities, the company said last week.
Massachusetts utilities ink contracts for 4.5 GWh of energy storage
This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter. Eversource Energy, National Grid and Unitil have filed long-term contracts with the developers of three utility-scale energy storage projects set to bring 1,068 MW/4,472 MWh of capacity to Massachusetts by 2030, the utilities and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources said last week.
Schneider expands its remote-service EcoCare plan to mission-critical systems
Schneider Electric is expanding its remote monitoring service plan called EcoCare to include additional support for customers’ power systems in mission-critical facilities, the company • The offering can increase uptime at facilities that require an by achieving a 70% reduction in electrical failure risk, up to 50% reduction in on-site interventions and up to 20% operating expense savings, Schneider claims. • Unplanned downtime is a significant cost sink for mission-critical UPS systems.
Public opposition, megaproject starts and workforce investments: the latest in data center news
An article from As major players kickoff multibillion-dollar projects and pour millions into training, many data center builders consider local pushback. High angle, aerial view of a data center in Newark, Calif. Getty Images At times, it feels like there are more stories about data centers than not.
Eversource launches targeted load management pilots in Massachusetts
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Eversource is expanding its ConnectedSolutions demand response program with two targeted pilots in the Boston area and southeastern Massachusetts, the New England investor-owned utility said on June 25.
How Minnesota aims to become a global hub for sustainable aviation fuel
Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend Refinery is Minnesota’s biggest petroleum refinery and single largest human-made source of greenhouse gas emissions. The sprawling Rosemount complex is also the primary supplier of jet fuel to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Eversource launches targeted load management pilots in Massachusetts
This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Eversource is expanding its ConnectedSolutions demand response program with two targeted pilots in the Boston area and southeastern Massachusetts, the New England investor-owned utility said on June 25.
How Minnesota aims to become a global hub for sustainable aviation fuel
Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend Refinery is Minnesota’s biggest petroleum refinery and single largest human-made source of greenhouse gas emissions. The sprawling Rosemount complex is also the primary supplier of jet fuel to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Headwinds: Growing pains today, payoff tomorrow?
This is it: the final regularly scheduled edition of Headwinds. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who subscribed and stuck with it. Stay tuned for occasional updates in the future, and if you want something more regular in your inbox check out the rest of MinnPost’s newsletters here. This newsletter’s name nods to the challenges Minnesota’s energy system faces right now.
Can zinc-based batteries scale into US storage buildout? Original
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Zinc-based batteries are poised for wider deployment as energy storage demand surges and potential lithium shortages loom over the next few years, officials with the International Zinc Association told Utility Dive this week.
On the Market: Industrial properties in Eagan, Becker, St. Paul
Blue Ridge Innovation is the future home of a build-to-suit industrial development at 3535 Blue Cross Road a few minutes south of the Interstate 494 interchange in Eagan. (Photo: Catylist) Listen to this article The Blueprint Eagan’s Blue Ridge Innovation site offers up to 650,000 square feet of build-to-suit industrial development potential on 41 acres. Becker Distribution Center features 126,260 square feet with extensive warehouse space, loading capacity and expansion opportunities.
US Sees Record Q1 2026 Energy Storage Installations
The United States added 3.3 GW/8.4 GWh of energy storage in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest figures from Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association. All three segments — utility-scale, residential and commercial/community/industrial — notched records for the seasonally slow first quarter.
3 home energy providers offer 16.8 GW of distributed capacity to utilities, hyperscalers Original
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Sunrun, Tesla and Renew Home could deliver nearly 17 GW of distributed energy capacity to unlock headroom in an increasingly congested U.S. power grid, the companies said Wednesday. The “capacity-as-a-solution” agreement combines the capabilities of the country’s three largest home energy providers.
Minnesota needs more power. Not everyone is happy about it.
Welcome back to Headwinds! Hard to believe this is our second to last edition already. The mix of resources we use to generate electricity has changed a lot since 2000. Nationwide, coal use has fallen sharply as natural gas, wind and solar take its place. Minnesota and its Upper Midwest neighbors were on the vanguard of this transition; Iowa gets more than half its energy from the wind. The regional electric grid hasn’t kept pace.
Managed, bidirectional EV charging gains utility, automaker support
Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Dive Brief: Two U.S. automakers took steps this month to expand their electric vehicles’ value to the power grid and electric utility efforts to manage peak demand. On Tuesday, Rivian became the latest automotive company to partner with ChargeScape, a vehicle-grid integration platform that supports utility-managed and bidirectional charging programs across the country.
US sees record Q1 2026 energy storage installations amid rosy outlook
The United States added 3.3 GW/8.4 GWh of energy storage in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest figures from Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association. All three segments — utility-scale, residential and commercial/community/industrial — notched records for the seasonally slow first quarter.
US sees record Q1 2026 energy storage installations amid rosy outlook
This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter. The United States added 3.3 GW/8.4 GWh of energy storage in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest figures from Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association. All three segments — utility-scale, residential and commercial/community/industrial — notched records for the seasonally slow first quarter.
St. Louis Park development boom grows along Green Line
Listen to this article The Blueprint More than a decade of preparation for the arrival of the METRO Green Line light rail extension is paying off in a big way for St. Louis Park. Passengers won’t alight at the city’s three stations until next year, but developers have added hundreds of housing units nearby over the past five years and are building or proposing hundreds more to coincide with the line’s opening.
On the Market: Twin Cities multifamily, retail and industrial properties
Listen to this article The Blueprint Phalen Manor Apartments in St. Paul offers 48 units and has been under the same ownership for 45 years. A renovated retail property at France Avenue and 44th Street in Edina is listed for $2.1 million. The Midwest Automation building in Minneapolis includes more than 43,500 square feet of industrial and office space.
Minnesotans push back against the surveillance state Original
by Brian Martucci, Minnesota Reformer June 18, 2026 A Richfield woman who says the U.S. government punished her for acting as a lawful observer during Operation Metro Surge told her story on Capitol Hill recently. Her June 9 testimony came with a warning that the Trump administration’s efforts to quell dissent threaten otherwise law-abiding Americans.
Minnesota regulators keep gas line subsidies in place
Minnesota regulators set new rules for gas utilities, including requiring energy-efficient homes and promoting dual-fuel heat pumps. The state limited but did not eliminate allowances that have existing customers subsidize new gas line extensions. Gas industry groups support the allowances, stating their removal could hinder service obligations and economic growth. Earlier this month, state regulators set new rules governing how the state’s gas utilities bring service to new customers.
Managed, bidirectional EV charging advances with utility, automaker support Original
Two U.S. automakers took steps this month to expand their electric vehicles’ value to the power grid and electric utility efforts to manage peak demand. On Tuesday, Rivian became the latest automotive company to partner with ChargeScape, a vehicle-grid integration platform that supports utility managed and bidirectional charging programs across the country.
Minnesota kicks the can on gas line extension allowances
Welcome back to Headwinds! Earlier this month, state regulators set new rules governing how the state’s gas utilities bring service to new customers.
Peak Energy, GM partner to scale domestic sodium-ion battery supplies Original
Peak Energy and General Motors are teaming up to develop and deploy sodium-ion battery systems for grid-scale stationary energy storage, the companies said on June 9. Peak and GM said the partnership will tap Peak’s passively cooled energy storage technology with GM’s battery cell manufacturing capabilities. GM will develop sodium-ion battery cells in Michigan and enjoy exclusive manufacturing rights, creating a reliable domestic supply of components for Peak’s finished energy storage systems.
Modular approach can speed data center construction by 30%: Flex
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A modular approach to data center design and construction could help overcome bottlenecks like labor availability, land constraints and long lead times for power and electrical equipment while boosting performance once operational, an executive with data center solutions provider Flex told Facilities Dive last week.
Modular approach can speed data center construction by 30%: Flex
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A modular approach to data center design and construction could help overcome bottlenecks like labor availability, land constraints and long lead times for power and electrical equipment while boosting performance once operational, an executive with data center solutions provider Flex told Facilities Dive last week.
Modular approach can speed data center construction by 30%: Flex
A modular approach to data center design and construction could help overcome bottlenecks like labor availability, land constraints and long lead times for power and electrical equipment while boosting performance once operational, an executive with data center solutions provider Flex told Facilities Dive last week.
Modular approach can speed data center construction by 30%: Flex
This story was originally published on Facilities Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Facilities Dive newsletter. A modular approach to data center design and construction could help overcome bottlenecks like labor availability, land constraints and long lead times for power and electrical equipment while boosting performance once operational, an executive with data center solutions provider Flex told Facilities Dive last week.
Minnesota now has a wind-powered green ammonia plant Original
“You need a tech-forward registry to be able to meet these requirements,” Davis said. CleanCounts has dozens of software developers working on a system that can accurately match hour-by-hour output from solar and wind farms across “the vast majority of corn country” by later this year, Davis said. It’s a big job that’s worth the effort for CleanCounts, which Davis said earns 1 cent when a REC is created and another cent when it’s retired, or claimed by the end user.
On the Market: St. Cloud commercial land, Roseville retail
Skip to content Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Four commercial-zoned parcels are available near the interchange...
Sonoma Clean Power aims for 1,000 no-cost smart thermostats amid VPP push Original
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Sonoma Clean Power is launching an effort to install smart thermostats for up to 1,000 income-qualified customers at no upfront cost, the northern California public power utility said last week.
Can green, local ammonia protect farmers from volatile commodity prices?
The following post comes from our pop-up energy newsletter Headwinds. Sign up here to get a weekly explainer on the past, present and future of energy in Minnesota, written by journalist Brian Martucci. Welcome back to Headwinds. For two reasons, the 2026 growing season is shaping up to be an unusual one here in Minnesota. The first is the brewing “super El Niño,” which could be in full force by harvest time.
Could 'green' ammonia save Minnesota farms money?
A new plant in Minnesota is using wind power to create homegrown ammonia for fertilizer. This "green" ammonia could reduce reliance on global supply chains and volatile prices. The technology aims to make local production cost-competitive with large, fossil-fuel-based plants.
Not-for-profit utilities turn to energy storage as data centers drive cost, reliability concerns
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Meeker Energy, a member-owned electric cooperative serving about 10,000 homes and businesses in central Minnesota, is typical of many non-profit utilities across the country.
Not-for-profit utilities turn to energy storage as data centers drive cost, reliability concerns
Meeker Energy, a member-owned electric cooperative serving about 10,000 homes and businesses in central Minnesota, is typical of many non-profit utilities across the country. While investor-owned giants tout the profit potential of large-load pipelines in the gigawatts, distribution coops like Meeker are watching the wholesale cost of electricity rise, with little they can do to mitigate it except controlling for their own consumption. That expense accounts for the largest part of members’ bills.
This wind-powered green ammonia plant could be a gateway to buffering Minnesota farmers from volatile fertilizer prices
In the shadow of a wind turbine on a low rise just outside the western Minnesota town of Morris, a cluster of tanks, pipes and sheds holds what some believe is the key to a more self-sufficient future for the region’s agriculture and heavy industry.
Housing fuels Andover’s growing development landscape
Listen to this article The Blueprint Andover continues to attract residential and commercial development due to its location between the Twin Cities metro and northern Anoka County. Multiple housing projects are planned or underway, ranging from single-family neighborhoods to senior living communities. Developers view Andover as an outer-ring suburb with significant room for long-term growth and expansion.
On the Market: Forest Lake school, St. Paul apartments
Skip to content Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: Category: - date_display: The main building of the North Lakes Academy upper school at 308...
Don't miss tomorrow's electric utility industry news Original
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A “representative” utility in the Southwest Power Pool could unlock an additional 90 MW of demand-side capacity in 2030 by stacking demand response, energy efficiency and time-of-use rates, according to a new Brattle Group report prepared for Uplight.
How residential solar installers are weathering a downturn
We’re halfway through another week! Thanks for reading Headwinds. The forecast for Minnesota’s solar industry is, let’s say, partly cloudy. Utilities like Xcel Energy are sticking with — even expanding — plans to add hundreds of megawatts of solar and battery storage capacity. Those assets will play a big role in the state’s cleaner energy future. Artisanal solar, however, is under pressure.
Don't miss tomorrow's electric utility industry news Original
Massachusetts has begun deploying bidirectional electric vehicle chargers at no cost to select customers, as part of a two-year “vehicle-to-everything” demonstration to explore the potential for residential, municipal and school customers to use EV batteries for backup power, self-consumption and demand response.
Don’t miss tomorrow’s facilities management industry news Original
, researchers from three universities said in a joint paper. • Water leaks, backup generator faults, arc flashes in electrical cabinets and failures of lithium-ion battery systems are among the big fire risks, the paper states.
Xcel customers in Minnesota could receive millions in refunds under rate settlement
© iStock - MarkPiovesan Customers of Xcel Energy’s Minnesota gas utility could be in line for millions of dollars in refunds if state regulators approve its slimmed-down rate increase request later this year. The settlement agreement between Xcel, ratepayer advocates and the Minnesota Department of Commerce would see Xcel’s gas utility revenue increase by $37.8 million this year, about $25 million less than initially requested.
On the Market: Suburban industrial properties in the Twin Cities
Listen to this article The Blueprint Three suburban light industrial properties in Stillwater, Brooklyn Park and Shakopee are for sale. The listings feature flexible warehouse, office and assembly space for owner-users or investors. The Brooklyn Park warehouse is listed for $1.385 million and suited for expansion. The Shakopee property offers heavy industrial zoning and direct Highway 169 access.
Don't miss tomorrow's electric utility industry news
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. States can enable faster growth of distributed solar and energy storage by streamlining interconnection reviews, reducing fees and increasing transparency for interconnection applicants and utilities, according to the latest update to “Freeing the Grid,” a joint analysis and scorecard by Vote Solar and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
New Mexico has the nation’s best DER interconnection policy: report
Rooftop solar panels in New Mexico. (Getty Images) This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter.
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