COAL: Wisconsin consumer advocates call for the increased use of securitization, a tool to refinance coal debt with low-interest bonds to protect ratepayers as plants close early. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: Three environmental groups threaten to sue Ameren over alleged Clean Water Act violations involving coal ash discharges from a coal plant north of St. Louis. (Alton Telegraph)

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RENEWABLES:
• A GOP-sponsored bill in Ohio would indefinitely continue the state’s renewable energy standards that are scheduled to phase out under a law at the center of a bribery scandal. (Cleveland.com)
• An Indiana county considers adopting local regulations for wind and solar projects to replace countywide rules. (Princeton Daily Clarion)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Foxconn is considering building or designing electric vehicles at its planned factory in eastern Wisconsin as it partners with a California company to produce more than 250,000 vehicles a year. (Racine Journal Times, Reuters)
• Ford CEO Jim Farley calls on the federal government to support battery production and charging infrastructure as the company plans electric platforms for its top-selling trucks, vans and SUVs. (Reuters)

PIPELINES: The Biden administration asks a federal appeals court to dismiss litigation over the presidential permit approved for the Keystone XL pipeline now that the project has been canceled. (E&E News, subscription)

GRID:
• Utilities across the northern U.S. have prepared their systems for extreme cold weather, though challenges remain for planners to maintain reliability as more coal plants come offline. (E&E News, subscription)
• Rolling blackouts helped states in the Southwest Power Pool avoid cascading grid failures last week that could have caused outages for days or weeks, a Kansas State University researcher says. (Kansas Reflector)
• Ameren Missouri has completed roughly 1,500 projects over the past two years meant to bolster reliability on the power grid. (FOX2 Now)

POLITICS: Republican-held congressional districts running through the middle of the U.S. have the most potential for wind and solar jobs and could be key for clean energy political strategies, a study finds. (E&E News, subscription)

SOLAR: State regulators approve plans for a 274 MW solar project in southern Ohio. (Farm and Dairy)

POLICY: The U.S. Senate will likely vote today on confirming former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as the Biden administration’s energy secretary. (Detroit News)

OIL & GAS: The North Dakota House passes legislation that broadens potential investments from the state’s oil tax savings account, including loans and capital for infrastructure projects. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Missouri lawmakers should reject legislation that would allow utilities to charge additional fees on customers that generate their own solar power, an editorial board says. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Ohio’s registration fees for electric vehicles are “punitive” and stifling adoption, says the CEO of a Cleveland mobility and EV car sharing firm. (Cleveland.com)