OVERSIGHT: Iowa’s largest electric utility appeals a ruling that it must share long-range resource planning documents with environmental groups and other stakeholders who agree not to divulge confidential information. (Energy News Network)
ALSO: State regulators will expand an audit of FirstEnergy to determine whether the utility broke state law by not disclosing consulting fees it paid to attorney Sam Randazzo, who went on to lead the Public Utilities Commission. (Cleveland.com)
PIPELINES:
• Enbridge seeks to move a second Line 5 lawsuit from Michigan officials to federal court, where it hopes to receive a favorable ruling. (Detroit News)
• Only about half of U.S. oil pipeline capacity is being used following recent production declines and a boom of new pipeline construction. (Reuters)
• A group of Black farmers in Illinois continue to fight plans for a proposed natural gas pipeline that they say would cause environmental damage. (WGNTV)
GRID:
• A powerful storm through the central U.S. Wednesday knocked out power for more than 510,000 customers from New Mexico to Michigan. (Washington Post)
• Kansas City utility Evergy says the windstorm caused a record number of power outages in Kansas and Missouri. (Kansas City Business Journal)
RENEWABLES: An Indiana lawmaker doubts the state will pass a bill making it easier to site renewable energy projects because of political pressure during an election year. (Herald Bulletin)
NUCLEAR: Federal regulators will likely classify one of two unresolved violations at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant as a low to moderate safety risk that could require additional inspections. (Toledo Blade)
OIL & GAS: Dairyland Electric Cooperative purchases a Wisconsin natural gas plant to help meet customer demand following the closure of a 345 MW coal plant. (Wisconsin State Journal)
SOLAR:
• A developer says plans for an 800 MW solar project in Ohio would take about a year to build and be completed in 2024. (Canton Repository)
• County planners in Kansas approve new restrictions on utility-scale solar projects after one large-scale proposal caused division in the community. (KCUR)
• AES completes construction on a 13 MW solar project on a closed landfill in Illinois. (Solar Power World)
WIND: North Dakota regulators approve a waiver for a wind project owner that will allow it to operate turbine lights that run continuously overnight. (Bismarck Tribune)
BIOGAS: Consumers Energy partners with a western Michigan farm on a $17 million biodigester project that will produce renewable natural gas for nearby gas lines. (MLive)
COMMENTARY: The head of a Michigan trade group representing chemical manufacturers and distributors says a recently passed state bill would eliminate competition in the buildout of transmission infrastructure. (Bridge Michigan)