UTILITIES: Candidates in this month’s board of directors election for the Nebraska Public Power District drew record-breaking campaign contributions as various interests sought to steer the utility’s agenda. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
• FirstEnergy’s credit rating is downgraded to “junk” status after the company tapped into revolving credit lines and as fallout continues from the nuclear bailout scandal. (Utility Dive)
• Wisconsin regulators approve a one-year rate freeze for Madison Gas and Electric, which the Sierra Club says still locks in high fixed charges that limit electricity customers’ control over their bills. (Wisconsin State Journal)
PIPELINES:
• Enbridge sues the state of Michigan in federal court in hopes of stopping the Whitmer administration’s attempt to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. (Bridge Michigan)
• The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Chippewa ask state regulators to halt Line 3 pipeline construction, saying it would increase the risk of coronavirus spread. (Associated Press)
• Line 3 opponents are preparing to confront police and private security during protests despite the state’s requirement that “counterinsurgency tactics” not be used against protesters. (The Intercept)
OHIO: The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel seeks refunds for utility customers if lawmakers or the courts halt charges FirstEnergy is expecting under a power plant subsidy bill. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: Civic leaders and residents are building community support to convince Exelon not to close a northern Illinois nuclear plant next year. (Rockford Register Star)
WIND:
• A company plans a $40 million project to repower 17 turbines and increase the output of an Iowa wind farm. (Telegraph Herald)
• Developers plan a 100 MW wind project in southwestern Wisconsin. (Telegraph Herald)
SOLAR:
• An Indiana startup looks to provide turnkey solar options for school districts concerned about high upfront costs and maintenance. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
• Researchers say adding pollinator habitats to solar projects can boost nearby crop yields, reduce soil erosion and provide long-term operations and maintenance savings. (InsideClimate News)
• The Forest County Potawatomi Community seeks to add solar panels on two of its buildings in Milwaukee. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A growing number of automakers and suppliers reach agreements over wireless electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Detroit Free Press)
OIL & GAS: About 200 barrels of source water leaks from an oil field pipeline in southwestern North Dakota. (Bismarck Tribune)
COMMENTARY:
• The CEO of First Solar says Ohio is positioned to be a national leader in solar manufacturing if it maintains a “level playing field” for companies. (Cleveland.com)
• A task force’s recent report on Indiana’s energy future should help it realize its wind generation potential, the head of a national wind trade group says. (Indianapolis Star)