BATTERIES: Conservative media and politicians have stoked so much anti-China rhetoric against a proposed $2.36 billion electric vehicle battery plant in western Michigan that some wonder if community divisions can ever be repaired. (Michigan Advance)
ALSO: South Korea manufacturer LG ramps up battery manufacturing in Michigan and other states as it expands its U.S. production capacity. (Canary Media)
POLITICS: The FBI requests that the former head of the Ohio GOP receive five to eight years in prison for his role in the state’s power plant bailout bribery and corruption scheme. (Ohio Capital Journal)
UTILITIES:
• Consumer advocates say Illinois utilities are seeking unprecedented rate increases, as electric utilities request a combined $2.9 billion over four years and gas utilities request nearly $900 million next year. (State Journal-Register)
• Officials in Dane County, Wisconsin, say two utilities’ latest rate increase requests would hurt clean energy progress by slashing rates paid for customers’ surplus solar power. (Capital Times)
SOLAR:
• A Michigan utility pushes back on legislation to offer large rebates for home solar and storage installations, saying it would create a “system of winners and losers” and raise rates for others. (Crain’s Grand Rapids Business)
• A Michigan couple sues their township for adopting commercial solar regulations that interfere with a contract they already had in place to develop a project on their property. (Three Rivers Commercial-News)
• Samsung hopes to start construction on an 800-acre solar project in Ohio in 2025 as initial reviews take longer than anticipated. (Canton Repository)
PIPELINES: Wisconsin regulators are making progress on an environmental review of Enbridge’s request to reroute Line 5 as a judge recently ordered the company to partially shut down the pipeline on tribal land. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
CARBON CAPTURE:
• Farmers say improved soil management practices can make crop land act as a carbon sink and avoid the need for carbon capture pipelines. (South Dakota Searchlight)
• A carbon pipeline developer is seeking a second permit in Iowa to expand the project rather than modify its existing request and potentially face delays. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
GRID: U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited a Wisconsin electrical worker training center last week to announce $10 million in grid resilience funding for the state. (WUWM)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Three outdoor recreation companies receive more than $1.2 million in Michigan grant funding to develop a charging network for electric off-road vehicles and electrified campsites. (WLUC)
COMMENTARY: Ohio lawmakers need to repeal ratepayer subsidies for two money-losing coal plants that were part of a historic bribery scheme between FirstEnergy and legislators, an editorial board writes. (Cleveland.com)
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