Note to readers: Midwest Energy News is taking a break for the holiday and will be back on Monday, Nov. 29. Thank you for reading!
WIND: An Iowa company uses a large wood chipper to grind old wind turbines to be recycled, though the process has drawn opposition from wind energy opponents. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
ALSO: Danish wind developer Orsted buys a 302 MW Illinois wind project that has long-term power purchase agreements with Facebook’s parent company and McDonald’s. (Bloomberg)
UTILITIES:
• A nonprofit advocacy group funded solely by American Electric Power contributed more than $1.5 million to dark money groups last year, according to tax filings. (Energy and Policy Institute)
• An Illinois city suspends a contract with its energy supplier under a municipal aggregation program, returning participating customers to Ameren. (Herald & Review)
EFFICIENCY: Ohio lawmakers advance legislation that would charge ratepayers for funding utility energy efficiency programs, drawing support from environmental groups and opposition from consumer advocates. (Ohio Capital Journal)
PIPELINES:
• The Keystone XL pipeline developer seeks to recoup $15 billion from the U.S. government after the Biden administration canceled permits for the project. (Bloomberg)
• Minnesota police officials invoiced Enbridge more than $3 million for expenses related to surveilling Line 3 protests. (VICE)
• Seven Athens, Ohio, residents are among Line 3 pipeline protesters who hope to have their felony charges dropped by Minnesota officials. (Athens Messenger)
• An Ohio congressman says concerns are growing in Washington and the Great Lakes region about the potential closing of the Line 5 pipeline. (Toledo Blade)
SOLAR:
• Plans move forward in northwestern Ohio for a 101 MW solar project, one of several recently approved by state regulators that total nearly 600 MW. (WTOL, PV Magazine)
• Officials in Valparaiso, Indiana, expect to save about $65,000 per year after installing solar panels at five city-owned buildings. (Times of Northwest Indiana)
• A developer explores plans for a large-scale solar project at a former U.S. Army ammunition manufacturing site in Kansas. (Shawnee Mission Post)
• An undisclosed developer considers plans for a nearly 59 MW solar project in western Ohio. (Sidney Daily News)
GRID: Indiana’s power grid is susceptible to widespread outages during extreme weather, according to a recent North American Electric Reliability Corp. report. (WISH)
NUCLEAR: A federal inspection of Missouri’s only nuclear plant finds three minor violations with minimal safety risks. (News Tribune)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A General Motors official calls on the U.S. government to speed up mine permitting to supply materials to domestic electric vehicle manufacturing plants. (E&E News, subscription)
COMMENTARY: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says keeping the U.S. nuclear power fleet “safe and economical” is a key tool to combat climate change. (Chicago Sun-Times)