ADVOCACY: The decade-old nonprofit Soulardarity in Highland Park near Detroit has built up expertise and influence with local officials on clean energy issues. (Energy News Network)
PIPELINES:
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains its position under the Biden administration that the Dakota Access pipeline should not shut down during an environmental review. (Reuters)
• Environmental groups sue the Army Corps of Engineers over its streamlined permitting program reauthorized by the Trump administration that allows pipelines to cross rivers, streams and wetlands. (E&E News, subscription)
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SOLAR:
• An Indiana county considers local zoning regulations for utility-scale solar after a state bill calling for uniform rules failed to pass. (News Sun)
• A central Illinois county explores adding solar panels to two county-owned buildings to help reduce electricity costs. (WGLT)
• Developers propose a 100 MW solar project in northern Indiana. (WNDU)
• American Electric Power signs a long-term agreement for 480 MW of power from the first phase of a massive $1 billion solar project planned in Indiana. (E&E News, subscription)
GRID: A company begins replacing underwater transmission cables in the Straits of Mackinac that were damaged by an anchor strike three years ago. (Associated Press)
NUCLEAR: The U.S. nuclear fleet includes several plants at risk of early retirement in the coming years as carbon emission reductions are a high priority on the national agenda. (S&P Global)
COAL:
• A major electric cooperative power supplier supports plans to offer co-ops coal debt relief even though a national trade group hasn’t taken a position on such a policy. (Energy and Policy Institute)
• Environmental groups say Evergy’s long-term energy plan has key clean energy components but takes too long to fully retire its coal generation. (Missouri Independent)
OVERSIGHT: A Missouri state senator is working on multiple bills that she says would give state regulators more oversight of monopoly utilities to benefit ratepayers. (Missouri Times)
POLITICS: A progressive Democrat seeking to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri makes climate change a key part of his platform. (Kansas City Star)
EFFICIENCY: Ameren Illinois helps a city convert nearly 2,000 streetlights to LEDs to help reduce electricity costs. (WCIA)
COMMENTARY:
• Michigan would benefit from the Biden administration’s proposed American Jobs Plan with investments in high-voltage transmission lines to bolster the power grid, a state senator writes. (Bridge Michigan)
• A Missouri schools superintendent says the Grain Belt Express transmission project would benefit rural students through tax windfalls, energy savings and reliability. (Missouri Times)
• Enbridge waited more than a year to disclose to Wisconsin officials that one of its pipelines leaked 1,200 gallons of a petroleum substance, which “should be a wakeup call” as groups challenge the company across the Midwest, a retired project manager writes. (Wisconsin Watch)