Correction: A developer has proposed installing ten, 670-foot tall wind turbines in Wisconsin. An item in Friday’s newsletter incorrectly stated the turbine’s height.
COAL: Ameren says in new court filings that shuttering its second-largest coal plant earlier than planned is “not a simple matter” and that potential grid impacts need to be considered. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
ALSO:
• The Illinois attorney general’s office is suing the operator of a downstate coal mine that used PFAS-laden foam in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish a fire last year. (Southern Illinoisan)
• A University of Illinois researcher is helping to develop a plan to capture carbon at the Prairie State coal plant in Illinois, which could help preserve jobs at the facility. (Belleville News-Democrat)
• U.S. coal usage grew by 17% in 2021, the first time it has increased in a year since 2014. (Grist)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Ford is working with Purdue University researchers on a patent-pending plan to cut the average time it takes to recharge all-electric vehicles from about 25 minutes to 5 minutes. (Detroit Free Press, subscription)
• General Motors is seeking local tax incentives for a potential $1.3 billion electric vehicle assembly plant in southeastern Michigan. (Detroit News)
SOLAR:
• Iowa lawmakers may consider reintroducing popular solar tax credits this session for homeowners and businesses. (Telegraph Herald)
• County officials will begin public hearings this month on a proposed 100 MW solar project in eastern Iowa. (KMCH)
• Mid-Michigan township planners develop commercial solar zoning regulations by drawing on rules from nearby communities. (Greenville Daily News)
RENEWABLES: The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is again calling for statewide siting standards for commercial solar and wind projects to provide developers certainty when planning projects. (Indiana Business Journal)
UTILITIES:
• State regulators will hold a public hearing this week on a long-term energy plan for a utility in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that includes plans for more solar generation. (Daily News)
• A Minnesota electricity retailer is freezing rates for a fifth year and credits savings provided through energy efficiency programs and solar investments. (Star Tribune)
OIL & GAS: Fewer than half of the oil and gas drillers in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions plan to curb carbon dioxide and methane emissions this year, and even fewer plan to cut back on flaring of excess gas, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. (Bloomberg)
HYDROELECTRIC: Alliant Energy continues a $25 million repair project at a 107-year-old hydroelectric dam in Wisconsin that it plans to complete in 2026. (WiscNews.com)
BIOFUELS: Increased demand for renewable diesel fuel could provide growth opportunities for soybean farmers in the coming decade, industry groups say. (Journal Gazette)
COMMENTARY: Fully repealing HB 6 is just part of the to-do list required to fix “illicit utility regulatory influence” in Ohio, an editorial board says. (Cleveland.com)