ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ford says it will nearly double the annual production of its electric F-150 pickup truck based on a high number of advance registrations. (Associated Press)
OHIO:
• State lawmakers and clean energy advocates will likely revisit efforts to repeal a law that provides ratepayer subsidies to two coal plants in Ohio and Indiana. (WKSU)
• Dayton utility AES Ohio asks state regulators to relax the rules around shutting off power to customers who are behind on their electric bills by skipping a final in-person visit in some cases. (Ohio Capital Journal)
CLEAN ENERGY: Updated integrated resource plans from Michigan’s two largest utilities are among key clean energy policy issues to watch this year, according to a clean energy analyst. (Energy News Network / Planet Detroit)
SOLAR:
• An expiring solar tax credit in Iowa has proven to be “enormously successful” over the past decade, particularly in spurring residential and commercial installations in eastern Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• An Indiana county adopts a two-month moratorium on utility-scale solar projects as residents raise concerns about a proposal from Invenergy. (Muncie Star Press)
• Michigan-based Hemlock Semiconductor Operations, the nation’s largest producer of polysilicon used in solar panels, announces the formal start of its new chairperson and CEO. (Midland Daily News)
• A Farm Bureau chapter in Indiana will hold an informational meeting this month for landowners who are considering leasing property to solar developers as more projects are proposed. (News and Tribune)
OIL & GAS: Oil and gas leasing on federal land is expected to resume early this year in North Dakota after the Biden administration halted the process nationwide last year. (Bismarck Tribune)
HYDROGEN: The federal government announced late last month that it would guarantee up to $1.04 billion in loans for a Nebraska facility to scale up production of hydrogen made from natural gas that could be used as an alternative to fossil fuels in transportation and manufacturing. (E&E News)
CARBON CAPTURE: Some Iowa landowners are teaming up with the Sierra Club in opposition of a proposed cross-state carbon dioxide pipeline. (NWestIowa.com)
HYDROELECTRIC: A 2.5 MW hydroelectric dam is expected to begin operating early this year at the University of Notre Dame and provide about 7% of the campus’ electricity needs. (Notre Dame Magazine)
CLIMATE: Wisconsin Democrats propose legislation that would create $5,000 scholarships for college students enrolled in climate change programs. (E&E News, subscription)
BIOFUELS: A proposed renewable fuel mandate in Iowa that failed to gain traction with state lawmakers last year will likely resurface in 2022. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
COMMENTARY: Federal climate change funding should be directed to frontline communities in Indiana where Black residents have “long been vulnerable to our unjust energy system,” says an Indiana NAACP official. (Indianapolis Star)