SOLAR: NextEra Energy is seeking land near Kansas City for a project that could include up to 500 MW each of solar and storage, which clean energy advocates call a “game-changer.” (Energy News Network)
UTILITIES:
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican lawmakers call on House Speaker Mike Madigan to explain his role in a recent scandal involving favorable legislation for ComEd. (Chicago Sun-Times)
• Illinois regulators urge the state’s utilities to extend the moratorium on utility disconnections until April 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. (Herald-News)
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OHIO:
• The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel seeks an outside investigation into whether ratepayer funds were improperly used for activities connected to HB 6. (Associated Press)
• State Rep. Bill Seitz helped draft nuclear plant bailout bills that preceded HB 6 and are also the subject of a federal subpoena. (Energy and Policy Institute)
• As Ohio lawmakers begin hearings on whether to repeal the state’s power plant bailout law, critics say HB 6 supporters are ignoring the financial benefits of energy efficiency programs. (WOSU)
PIPELINES:
• A Michigan judge allows Enbridge to resume normal operations of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac after it was partially shut down in June because of damage. (Bridge Magazine)
• Tribes make another push for an injunction to temporarily shut down the Dakota Access pipeline pending an environmental review by a federal agency. (E&E News, subscription)
CLIMATE: Wisconsin union officials who serve on Joe Biden’s transition team and climate advisory council support an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes “clean coal.” (E&E News, subscription)
WIND: An eastern Michigan port serves as the arrival site for large wind turbine parts making their way to in-state wind projects. (MLive)
CLEAN ENERGY: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pledges to work closely with grid operator PJM as the state pursues a more aggressive clean energy strategy. (RTO Insider, subscription)
BIOFUELS: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she is waiting to confirm reports that President Trump has directed the U.S. EPA to deny the oil industry waivers from federal biofuel blending requirements. (Radio Iowa)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors announces a breakthrough that would make its electric vehicle batteries more flexible and compact. (E&E News, subscription)
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OIL & GAS: A North Dakota board again extends the deadline for dozens of oil patch companies to pay the state for deductions taken from natural gas royalties, citing the ongoing pandemic-related downturn. (Bismarck Tribune)
COMMENTARY: A company that certifies energy efficient homes says that even without tax credits, solar is still a smart investment for homeowners. (Energy News Network, sponsored)