OHIO: An Ohio judge whose orders have blocked investigations into FirstEnergy’s role in a corruption scandal was also involved in writing the power plant bailout law at the center of the controversy. (Ohio Capital Journal)
HISTORY: Alice H. Parker, an African American woman who designed a groundbreaking indoor heating system more than 100 years ago, represents yet another “hidden figure” in the sciences whose story is often misinterpreted. (Energy News Network)
EQUITY: The president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus says its energy agenda includes reforming the electric ratemaking process to benefit all Ohioans and especially low-income residents. (Energy News Network)
COAL:
• Utility AES has said it plans to quit coal by 2025, but its Indiana subsidiary has not yet committed to retiring a 1,000 MW plant near Evansville. (Indianapolis Star)
• The two remaining units of a North Dakota coal plant are retired after nearly 70 years in operation as the plant converts to natural gas. (Bismarck Tribune)
NUCLEAR: Climate advocates raise concerns about plans to close one of Michigan’s three nuclear plants and its implications for reaching a statewide carbon neutral goal by 2050. (Detroit News, subscription)
EFFICIENCY: Toledo, Ohio abandons a $40 million project that would have retrofitted some city buildings with energy efficiency upgrades. (WTVG)
UTILITIES:
• American Electric Power plans to sell about 1,600 MW of unregulated wind and solar generation as the company increases its focus on regulated renewable energy projects and transmission. (Utility Dive)
• Demand for utility bill assistance programs has soared in the St. Louis area compared to last year as natural gas prices rise, a nonprofit reports. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
OIL & GAS: The developer of a proposed ethane cracker plant in Ohio says it is committed to the project even though a key air permit has expired. (Columbus Dispatch)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ohio-based electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors plans to sell its first 500 electric pickup trucks this year followed by a five-fold increase in 2023. (Reuters)
CLEAN TECH: A western Michigan company supplies vehicle producers in the RV, marine and trucking industries with energy storage systems that help significantly reduce vehicle emissions. (MiBiz)
POWER PLANTS: North Dakota regulators will soon consider a proposal to extend a water pipeline for a power plant that’s being converted from coal to natural gas-powered. (Bismarck Tribune)
BIOGAS: A renewable natural gas developer identifies future growth at projects in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. (S&P Global)
COMMENTARY:
• An Indigenous legal scholar in Minnesota says President Biden’s early cancellation of permits for the Keystone XL pipeline is part of his ongoing support for tribes. (Star Tribune)
• A Native American business owner and entrepreneur in Wisconsin says Enbridge should be allowed to reroute Line 5 around tribal land to keep the pipeline operational. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• A north Minneapolis community solar project built by local residents represents the empowerment of a neighborhood that has been historically marginalized by polluting projects, a columnist writes. (Star Tribune)