UTILITIES: ComEd proposes to spend up to $120 million in shareholder dollars on clean energy and workforce training as part of a pending franchise agreement with the city of Chicago, but the politics have been complicated by a state legislative bribery scandal and a mayoral election. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
• Jury selection begins today in the trial of four former ComEd executives and associates accused of a bribery scheme to influence former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. (ABC 7)
• The case highlights the unending power struggles in Illinois politics that have at times created unusual alliances, observers say. (Chicago Tribune)
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OHIO:
• Gov. Mike DeWine says he has long supported repealing coal plant subsidies associated with the state’s HB6 corruption scandal, as two Democratic state representatives say they plan to introduce legislation that would do just that. (Ideastream, Center Square)
• An Ohio legal expert says he wouldn’t be surprised if more indictments surfaced involving the state’s power plant bailout scandal. (ABC 5)
STORAGE: Michigan Democrats propose a bill that would require utilities to build and contract for 2,500 MW of energy storage by 2030. (MiBiz)
PIPELINES:
• A Sierra Club organizer says 44 of 56 Iowa counties affected by proposed carbon capture pipelines have formally objected to the projects. (Hawk Eye)
• An Iowa lawmaker who has sought to prevent the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines files formal objections with state regulators against two developers. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Illinois’ attorney general files an order requiring Marathon to fully investigate the impact of a March 2022 Illinois oil pipeline spill. (The Telegraph)
SOLAR:
• A developer proposes a 15 MW solar project at a former Ohio landfill. (Waste 360)
• U.S. houses of worship host a relatively large number of solar panels on non-residential buildings, presenting a unique opportunity to build out solar capacity. (PV Magazine)
CLEAN ENERGY: AEP Ohio customers who have been automatically enrolled in a Columbus clean energy program have faced price spikes. (WCMH)
COMMENTARY:
• A Minnesota small business advocate says companies and families shouldn’t have to pay more to support Xcel Energy’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Star Tribune)
• The leader of a Kansas interfaith, issue-advocacy organization says state lawmakers are not acting in residents’ best interests by attempting to prohibit environmental, social and governance investment strategies. (Kansas Reflector)
• A lack of state guardrails against corruption was among the most noteworthy aspects of the recent trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a former state regulator writes. (Ohio Capital Journal)
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