OHIO: Republican and Democratic lawmakers are both drafting legislation to repeal HB 6, the nuclear bailout law at the center of a bribery scandal involving a top state lawmaker and FirstEnergy; Gov. Mike DeWine says the law should stay in place. (Cleveland.com, Associated Press)
ALSO:
• Two bribery scandals in Illinois and Ohio over the past week damage efforts to prop up struggling nuclear plants, experts say. (Bloomberg)
• Market analysts express concern about economic fallout from two of Akron, Ohio’s biggest employers, FirstEnergy and its former generation subsidiary, being implicated in the alleged racketeering scheme. (Akron Beacon Journal)
• A law firm that specializes in securities fraud and shareholder litigation announces an investigation into whether FirstEnergy made false or misleading statements to investors. (WKYC)
• The FBI alleges state House Speaker Larry Householder used money from the scheme to repair and pay back taxes on a home in Florida. (Columbus Dispatch)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Cleanie Awards — the #1 awards program in clean technology — is now accepting applications! Submit to win, or contact us with any questions. Applications close July 30.***
POWER PLANTS: Nebraska’s largest utility abandons plans to partially convert an aging fossil fuel power plant to run on hydrogen. (Energy News Network)
ILLINOIS: A key state lawmaker rejects calls for public hearings on whether Illinois ratepayers were harmed in the ComEd bribery scandal, saying she doesn’t want to interfere in an ongoing federal investigation. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
PIPELINES: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer criticizes Enbridge for not pledging to take full financial responsibility for a potential spill in the Straits of Mackinac, though the company said it did so in a 2018 agreement with the state. (Detroit Free Press)
SOLAR:
• The developer of an Indiana solar project wants county officials to reduce the amount of pollinator-friendly habitat it is required to plant at the site. (Muncie Star Press)
• Advocates say Iowa’s solar energy tax credit program is underfunded as the amount in claims filed is more than double the amount allocated by state lawmakers. (Decorah News)
CLIMATE: Clean energy advocates say Vice President Mike Pence’s recent visit to Wisconsin criticizing climate change action doesn’t reflect growing concern among the state’s residents. (Wisconsin Examiner)
***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Veterans Advanced Energy Week, August 10-13, a virtual learning experience dedicated to military veterans and spouses in advanced energy and national security. Learn more at www.vetsenergyproject.org.***
WIND:
• The Southwest Power Pool is expected to add about 5,000 MW of new wind capacity by the end of the year, including about 800 MW in Kansas. (S&P Global)
• A collaboration through virtual power purchase agreements helps additional companies buy power from an Illinois wind project. (North American Windpower)
COMMENTARY: An author and clean energy researcher says the Ohio bribery scandal, part of an effort that also included rolling back clean energy laws, is an “unfortunately common pattern” among large utilities. (Vox)