OHIO: It remains unclear how Murray Energy may have benefitted from a $100,000 contribution to a for-profit entity linked to Ohio’s power plant bailout bribery scheme. (Energy News Network)
TRANSMISSION: A federal appeals court will allow utilities seeking to build a controversial transmission line in southwestern Wisconsin to participate in a legal challenge to their permit. (Wisconsin State Journal)
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PIPELINES:
• A Michigan agency is finalizing a review of whether Enbridge violated its easement to operate the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, which could unlock Gov. Whitmer’s authority to shut it down by executive action. (Michigan Advance)
• Recent upgrades to the Line 5 pipeline where it crosses a river in southeastern Michigan come as several entities and advocacy groups seek to shut down the pipeline farther north in the Straits of Mackinac. (The Voice)
SOLAR:
• U.S. commercial buildings have 145 gigawatts of untapped solar capacity potential, according to a new study by Wood Mackenzie. (Greentech Media)
• A northeastern Indiana city considers financing options and a possible expansion of a planned airport solar project. (Chronicle-Tribune)
HYDROELECTRIC: A multi-year, $800 million infrastructure upgrade is nearly complete at a pumped hydro power plant in western Michigan. (9&10 News)
NUCLEAR: A powerful storm that went through Iowa this week caused the emergency shutdown of a nuclear plant near Cedar Rapids. (Star Tribune)
UTILITIES: Despite efforts to crack down on unscrupulous power supply companies in Illinois, more than a million residential customers in a recent period collectively paid $145 million more than if they would have stayed with ComEd. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
COAL: U.S. coal production and employment took a nosedive in the second quarter as demand dropped during the pandemic. (S&P Global)
STORAGE:
• Wisconsin-based Generac has been lowering prices for its home generators that store solar power, which the company says provides more power and capacity than competitors. (Greentech Media)
• Federal regulators approve grid operator MISO’s proposal for rules regulating energy storage as a transmission asset. (RTO Insider, subscription)
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ADVOCACY: Heather Allen is named executive director of RENEW Wisconsin after being hired on an interim basis in March. (The Daily Reporter)
COMMENTARY: An Ohio state representative says repealing a power plant bailout law at the center of a bribery scheme opens a future that “embraces our legacy of innovation and enables us to lead the nation in the renewable energy revolution.” (Cleveland.com)