OHIO: Attorney General Dave Yost is preparing a lawsuit to stop ratepayer surcharges for two nuclear plants at the center of a $61 million corruption scandal if state legislators don’t repeal the law. (Toledo Blade)
ALSO:
• Some northern Ohio residents are concerned that repealing the state law supporting the two nuclear plants would permanently close the facilities. (Columbus Dispatch)
• FirstEnergy has used lobbyists, lawyers, consultants and political contributions to pressure state lawmakers to back favorable policy for the utility. (Cleveland.com)
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POLICY: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s energy plan would likely take a proposal for a state-run capacity market off the table, potentially ending a dispute between clean energy advocates and renewable energy companies. (Energy News Network)
TRANSMISSION: An agreement would offload more Great Plains wind power from the Grain Belt Express transmission line into Missouri, where renewable energy demand is growing. (Energy News Network)
SOLAR: Indiana’s consumer advocate office opposes Vectren’s proposed replacement for net metering, saying it wouldn’t compensate customers enough for the solar power they send back to the grid. (Evansville Courier & Press)
PIPELINES:
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asks a federal appeals court to reverse a ruling that scrapped an environmental permit for the Dakota Access pipeline. (Reuters)
• The Minnesota Commerce Department’s opposition to the Line 3 pipeline replacement based on a lack of long-term demand forecast has drawn intense scrutiny from GOP lawmakers. (MinnPost)
• Though opposing sides agree that Line 5 should be removed from the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac, strong disagreement remains over whether to place it in a tunnel or decommission the pipeline. (Interlochen Public Radio)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• Four seats on the Nebraska Public Power District board are up for re-election this fall and are drawing interest from clean energy supporters. (Columbus Telegram)
• Michigan-based furniture manufacturer Steelcase meets its company wide carbon neutral goal and sets a new target to be carbon negative over the next decade. (MiBiz)
UTILITIES:
• Michigan regulators expand the eligibility and the amount of state aid available for residents who are struggling to pay utility bills during the pandemic. (Lansing State Journal)
• A ballot proposal in Columbus, Ohio, would allow the city to procure power from alternative suppliers. (WOSU)
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TRANSPORTATION: A light rail project in greater Minneapolis-St. Paul is set to receive full funding after more than a decade of planning and delays. (MinnPost)
BIOFUELS: The Trump administration’s decision on biofuel blending requirements may be delayed beyond November as officials say the pandemic’s affect on demand is complicating the process. (E&E News, subscription)