ILLINOIS: The state’s sweeping clean energy reforms signed into law last week include scaled-back funding for communities and workers who have depended on the coal industry. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announces a new pilot program that she says would be the first in the country to test an electrified road that wirelessly charges electric vehicles. (Detroit Free Press)

CLEAN ENERGY: Ohio Democrats propose legislation that would require 100% clean energy generation by 2050, direct projects to communities most harmed by fossil fuels, and make it easier to site wind and solar projects. (WKSU)

PIPELINES: A federal judge formally acknowledges that mediation discussions between Michigan officials and Enbridge didn’t resolve a dispute over whether the state can shut down the pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. (Michigan Advance)

CLIMATE:
• U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota is helping to usher in climate legislation that includes an 80% clean electricity target in 10 years: “This is a moment where if we don’t seize it, the results are catastrophic.” (Star Tribune)
• An Iowa Catholic business leader and self-described “tree-hugging Republican” says faith can be a strong motivator for businesses to take climate action even if they don’t support a national climate agenda. (National Catholic Reporter)

SOLAR: An Indiana county approves a moratorium on new solar projects bigger than 50 MW for the next six months or until new siting regulations are adopted. (Herald Bulletin)

TRANSPORTATION: A Twin Cities transit program that offers discounted fares for low-income residents remains largely untapped by the more than 600,000 residents who are eligible to participate. (Minnesota Reformer)

CARBON CAPTURE: Developers are holding informational meetings for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through western Iowa that has already received commitments from 31 ethanol plants, including 12 in Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

CLEANTECH: A Minnesota company wins a statewide entrepreneurship competition for its innovations in heat pump technology. (Centered)

WIND: A Duke Energy subsidiary announces plans to build a 207 MW wind project in Iowa, with most of the output supplying telecommunications giant Verizon. (Renewables Now)

GRID: Wisconsin regulators award more than $900,000 in grants to test the feasibility of critical infrastructure microgrids and other grid resilience projects. (Daily Energy Insider)

COMMENTARY:
• A Michigan public health expert and former gubernatorial candidate says attempting to install rooftop solar on his new home underscored the power dynamics of major utilities attempting to control self-generation. (Metro Times)
• Exelon’s former position that it didn’t need state subsidies to operate its Illinois nuclear fleet, which is now being propped up by ratepayer support, indicates the “whiplash in U.S. utilities over the past decade or so,” a financial columnist writes. (Bloomberg)