POLICY: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is still hopeful that a deal can be reached over a statewide energy bill that boosts renewable energy investments and keeps Exelon nuclear plants operating. (WBEZ)
ALSO:
• Adopting any of three major climate policies in Ohio could help society avoid up to $1 trillion in costs over the next three decades, a recent analysis finds. (Energy News Network)
• An Ohio Senate committee will hold a hearing today on a bill to give local voters the ability to hold a referendum on proposed wind and solar projects. (Statehouse News Bureau)
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EMISSIONS:
• State officials and energy company leaders begin to plan how to meet North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s statewide goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. (Bismarck Tribune)
• A University of Iowa committee says more work needs to be done to reduce emissions from day-to-day operations to meet the school’s climate and sustainability goals. (Iowa City Press-Citizen)
RENEWABLES:
• Corporate purchasers continue to drive large-scale wind and solar projects across the U.S., including in states like Illinois and Ohio. (S&P Global)
• Some Kansas and Missouri communities seek to tighten land use regulations as developers eye more utility-scale wind and solar projects. (Missouri Independent)
SOLAR: The owner of an Indiana coal plant is partnering with an electric cooperative to develop hundreds of megawatts of solar power near a coal plant that’s expected to retire in 2023. (Inside Indiana Business)
CLEAN ENERGY: Kansas is positioned to grow jobs in wind and solar, but experts say it should be prepared to expand other clean energy sectors in battery storage and manufacturing. (Wichita Eagle)
UTILITIES: Attorneys representing four people charged in a federal corruption investigation say former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan did not arrange to help ComEd win favorable legislation in exchange for bribes. (Chicago Tribune)
PIPELINES:
• A federal judge rules that even though President Biden canceled a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a future president could reinstate the project. (E&E News, subscription)
• A developer proposes plans for a 1,200-mile pipeline system across the Midwest to move liquefied carbon dioxide to permanent storage sites. (WOWT)
OIL & GAS: Congressional lawmakers from Texas and North Dakota call for a national orphaned well program to clean up the tens of thousands of abandoned wells across the U.S. (E&E News, subscription)
BIOFUELS: The largest U.S. biofuels producer will boost its ethanol production capacity by 40% after acquiring another producer. (Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION: A Fargo-Moorhead chamber of commerce claims Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s clean vehicles rule will increase car prices and hurt auto dealers in border towns. (KVRR)
EFFICIENCY: Local officials want more cost details as Toledo, Ohio considers a $46 million plan to make public facilities more energy efficient. (WTVG)