OHIO: Federal authorities are scheduled to make a “public corruption announcement” this morning in connection with an ongoing investigation involving the state’s power plant bailout law. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

ALSO: Multiple candidates in an Ohio congressional race have lobbying or fundraising ties to groups that were closely involved in passing the state’s scandal-tainted power plant subsidy law. (Columbus Dispatch)

COAL: A Cleveland-area coal plant will close within the next year ahead of its planned sale to a developer with plans to repurpose the 40-acre lakefront property. (Cleveland.com)

PIPELINES: Minnesota law enforcement agencies in charge of policing Line 3 pipeline protests expect to benefit from additional funding if the project is completed. (The Intercept)

CLIMATE:
• A citizen of the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota is instrumental in helping the tribe mitigate the effects of climate change through new renewable energy businesses. (Yale Climate Connections)
• Senior Biden administration officials say the Midwest will play a key role in emission reductions as part of the U.S. climate strategy. (Indiana Environmental Reporter)

SOLAR:
• Developers hold their first public meeting to discuss plans for a 135 MW solar project in eastern Ohio. (Morning Journal)
• Twelve rural electric cooperatives in Kansas and the surrounding region partner to enter into contracts for nearly 22 MW of solar. (Pratt Tribune)
• Alliant Energy says a new solar-plus-storage project in Iowa is expected to save customers money while making the local grid more resilient. (KWWL)

WIND: A nearly 200 MW Indiana wind project is now operational and supplying power for Facebook and Walmart. (InsideIndiana Business)

OIL & GAS:
• Nearly 41,000 gallons of oilfield wastewater spills from a broken pipeline in western North Dakota. (Associated Press)
• A worker shortage in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused North Dakota oil production to remain flat. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY: Officials in Bloomington, Indiana, launch a program that provides rebates to homeowners who install efficiency and renewable energy projects. (Indiana Daily Student)

MICROGRIDS: An Exelon official says public and private microgrids are key for grid resiliency but remain expensive and difficult to value. (Daily Energy Insider)

EFFICIENCY: Xcel Energy recognizes 41 companies for their energy efficiency efforts in 2020 that helped save customers $9 million in electric and natural gas costs. (Sun Post)

COMMENTARY: State and federal lawmakers need to take stronger steps to regulate oil and gas wastewater that can contain radioactive elements, clean energy advocates say. (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Andy compiles the Midwest Energy News digest and was a journalism fellow for Midwest Energy News from 2014-2020. He is managing editor of MiBiz in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was formerly a reporter and editor at City Pulse, Lansing’s alternative newsweekly.