ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The future of Ohio’s Lordstown Motors is in question after the electric vehicle startup’s CEO and CFO resign amid an internal fraud investigation, causing shares to drop 19% on Monday. (Akron Beacon Journal)
ALSO:
• The company is part of a fledgling electric vehicle and battery manufacturing hub in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, where local officials are taking steps to ensure there are enough qualified workers to fill new jobs. (Energy News Network)
• General Motors plans to soon announce more U.S. battery manufacturing plants as electric vehicle sales grow. (Associated Press)
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PIPELINES:
• The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirms the state’s approval of permits for the Line 3 pipeline, dealing a setback to environmental groups and tribes challenging the project. (Star Tribune)
• The former CEO of three major U.S. utilities joins the board of directors of the company that was developing the Keystone XL pipeline. (E&E News, subscription)
COAL:
• Illinois is poised to become the first Midwest state to ban energy companies from burning coal under a 2035 sunset date. (Chicago Tribune)
• Illinois local officials raise concerns over reliability and the potential for rolling blackouts should a major coal plant be retired early under a planned clean energy bill. (Rockford Register Star)
RENEWABLES:
• The Columbus City Council complies with an order from the Ohio Supreme Court to place a ballot initiative before city voters involving $87 million in clean energy investments. (Columbus Dispatch)
• An Indiana county adopts new zoning regulations for utility-scale wind and solar projects. (Daily Journal)
UTILITIES: Environmental groups say Kansas utility Evergy isn’t moving fast enough to transition to renewable energy while other critics worry the utility’s long-term plan could increase costs and jeopardize reliability. (Associated Press)
BIOFUELS: Residents living near a Nebraska ethanol plant that makes fuel from seeds treated with pesticides report health problems as local officials continue attempting to close the facility. (Civil Eats)
OHIO: Former House Speaker Larry Householder is expected to issue a statement this week as lawmakers move closer to expelling him over his alleged role in the state’s power plant bailout scandal. (WXIX)
FINANCE: Michigan lawmakers propose expanding the state’s commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) enabling legislation to include more properties and types of projects that qualify for loans. (MiBiz)
SOLAR:
• Developers are in the early stages of potentially building a large-scale solar project on 6,300 acres of Ohio land owned by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. (Columbus Dispatch, subscription)
• An Indiana municipal power agency wants to annex portions of two solar projects to bring the land within contiguous city limits. (Inside Indiana Business)
• Some residents raise land use concerns about plans for a utility-scale solar project in eastern Michigan. (WJRT)
OIL & GAS:
• An Ohio Senate committee could vote this week on a bill that would shield the natural gas industry from cities potentially cracking down on fossil fuel emissions. (Ohio Capital Journal)
• An equipment failure caused about 1,800 barrels of saltwater to spill from a pipeline into a North Dakota wheat field. (Bismarck Tribune)
CLEAN ENERGY: North Dakota officials approve $10 million in funding for two energy studies exploring the potential for carbon capture and storage and hydrogen energy development. (Prairie Public Radio)