OHIO: Newly revealed text messages show former FirstEnergy executives praising former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo for helping to overrule regulatory staff in favor of the utility. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• In places like rural Ohio, it’s not easy even for motivated residents to do things like install solar panels or buy electric vehicles. (Farm and Dairy)
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says an electric vehicle and battery storage training program can “attract people to some of the best paying jobs in our economy.” (Herald & Review)

PIPELINES: A tribal court case involving Line 3 claims that acts taken by the state of Minnesota on non-reservation land have impinged on the rights of wild rice, which are protected under tribal law. (Inside Climate News)

SOLAR:
• Opponents of a planned 3,500-acre Iowa solar project criticize the developer for not being more transparent about its project director’s ties to county government. (KCRG)
• A three-hour public hearing brings out supporters and opponents of a planned 300 MW solar project in southwestern Ohio. (News Journal)
• State regulators approve plans for a 120 MW solar project in southern Ohio. (Scioto Post)

COAL: Indiana utility NIPSCO says it may retire its Michigan City coal plant as soon as 2026, two years earlier than originally planned. (Inside Indiana Business)

CLEANTECH: Top officials from Minnesota and Finland formally agree to collaborate on the development of sustainable technology across academica, government and business. (MPR News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: U.S. electric vehicle sales have increased 83% this year compared to the same period in 2020, though most of the growth is attributed to California residents purchasing Teslas. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY:
• U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois writes that the state can “lead the pack (on electric vehicles) if we make the right investments now.” (Crain’s Chicago Business, subscription)
• A mayor and environmental advocate from Nebraska say the economic benefits of clean energy should prompt state lawmakers to devise a bipartisan climate plan. (Lincoln Journal Star)
• A northern Michigan vineyard owner and member of a business coalition says it’s “time for President Joe Biden to step up” and support Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s effort to decommission Line 5. (Detroit Free Press)