OHIO: FirstEnergy argues in a class action suit that House Bill 6, the power plant bailout law at the center of a corruption scandal, protects the utility from ratepayer lawsuits. (Energy News Network / Eye on Ohio)

PIPELINES:
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer withdraws a federal lawsuit seeking to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in hopes that a separate suit by the state’s attorney general will be successful. (Bridge Michigan)
• Whitmer’s move rekindles ongoing political and legal debates involving treaty rights and the Biden administration’s role in Line 5’s future. (E&E News)

SOLAR:
• Residents express concern over a planned 750-acre, 100 MW solar project in eastern Iowa potentially taking over farmland. (Iowa Public Radio)
• A Missouri school district approves a 10-year agreement to participate in a community solar pilot project that would offset a majority of schools’ energy usage. (Joplin Globe)
• A developer proposes a 59 MW solar project in southern Ohio that would be the company’s third utility-scale project in the state. (Chillicothe Gazette)

AIR POLLUTION: Researchers at three Michigan universities are developing a wearable device that tracks air pollution and could help users avoid toxic areas. (Centered)

RENEWABLES: Indiana Republicans indicate legislation could resurface next year that’s similar to a prior bill that would have created more uniform siting standards for wind and solar projects. (News and Tribune)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota officials approve timelines and guidelines for a new natural gas pipeline grant program that’s funded with $150 million in federal stimulus relief. (Prairie Public Broadcasting)

CARBON CAPTURE:
• Landowners in the path of a planned carbon dioxide pipeline through Iowa remain deeply skeptical about the project’s potential impact on the land and public health. (Iowa Public Radio)
• The $1.75 trillion Build Back Better spending bill that has passed the U.S. House includes further tax breaks for carbon capture that would largely benefit fossil fuel companies. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY: U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa says carbon capture and storage projects will benefit the biofuels industry by allowing producers to “access the increasing number of markets that have adopted low carbon fuel standards.” (The Messenger)

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.