skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A new study shows health disparities cost Texas billions of dollars; Senate rejects impeachment articles against Mayorkas, ending trial against Cabinet secretary; Iowa cuts historical rural school groups.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Senate dismisses the Mayorkas impeachment. Maryland Lawmakers fail to increase voting access. Texas Democrats call for better Black maternal health. And polling confirms strong support for access to reproductive care, including abortion.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

Nearly Five Years In, MN Sees Benefits from Solar Project

play audio
Play

Wednesday, March 10, 2021   

NORTH BRANCH, Minn. - Minnesota is home to the largest solar plant in the Midwest. The North Star facility, now in its fifth year, is touted for spurring other solar projects and benefits beyond the environment.

North Star sits on nearly 1,000 acres of rural property in Chisago County, just north of the Twin Cities. Feeding into Xcel Energy's system, it produces enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. Kurt Schneider, county environmental services director, said North Star and similar projects not only help the state become less reliant on fossil fuels but also produce annual revenue "between $250,000 and $300,000 in financial benefits through this production tax. So, certainly for us, that's almost 1% of an annual levy."

That means the county can lean a little less on property owners for tax revenue to fund public safety and other priorities. In addition to the plant, Chisago County now has nearly a dozen solar farms. Schneider noted that some have seen opposition from neighboring residents, but said solar development hasn't resulted in serious issues for the county.

Those in the solar industry are optimistic about its growth. Eric Pasi. chief development officer of IPS Solar, said the state just eclipsed 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity. That's a hundredfold increase over the past decade.

"We're on an exponential growth curve in the state," he said, "and really, it's behind more utility-scale and community solar-scale projects."

However, Pasi said, some local governments are showing signs of "solar fatigue" when issuing permits for development, resulting in stricter rules.

Supporters of solar plants or solar gardens say they're still less intrusive than a traditional power plant. Pasi added that the projects can be modified to provide benefits that offset the land being used for solar.

"In all of our community solar projects," he said, "we plant pollinator-friendly seed mixes that help to promote the health of the land."

On some sites, he said, that allows for beekeepers to produce local honey. Whether it's government revenue or environmental impact, backers of solar power cite the need for more grid capacity to allow for more development.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
New research from the Episcopal Health Foundation showed the Texas economy could save billions of dollars, simply by breaking the cycle of preventable health disparities. (Colored Lights/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Health disparities in Texas are not only making some people sick, but affecting the state's economy. A new study shows Texas is losing $7 billion a …


Environment

play sound

City and county governments are feeling the pinch of rising operating costs but in Wisconsin, federal incentives are driving a range of local …

Social Issues

play sound

Well over three-fourths of Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases, but federal law allows unlicensed people to sell guns at …


The beans from the velvet mesquite are known as "pechitas." They are edible and have served as important starch in the diets of Indigenous people. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Max Graham for Grist.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Serv…

Social Issues

play sound

Last year's Medicaid expansion in South Dakota increased eligibility to another 51,000 adults but a new report showed among people across the state wh…

Senate Bill 2019, sponsored by Rep. Shane Reeves, R-Bedford, is expected to be signed by the governor. It would take effect July 1, 2024. (18percentgrey/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Tennesseans struggling with opioid addiction, as a bill has been passed to increase access to treatment …

Social Issues

play sound

Washington joins a handful of states to do away with mandatory meetings for employees on political or religious matters. Sometimes known as captive …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As federal Victims of Crime Act funding continues to impact Kentucky's domestic violence shelters, advocates say they are applauding lawmakers …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021