UTILITIES: An unsealed affidavit provides the clearest detail yet of how former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan allegedly worked with ComEd to defeat legislation while seeking jobs from the utility for two political allies. (Chicago Tribune)
OIL & GAS:
• Crews were working to contain a large oil spill from a steel mill into the St. Mary’s River between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Ontario. (MLive)
• State-level efforts to prohibit natural gas bans have protected gas utilities in states that account for nearly one-third of U.S. commercial and residential gas demand. (S&P Global)
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COAL: An Ameren coal plant in Missouri that was scheduled to shut down this year will likely keep running for several years longer as grid operator MISO seeks to maintain adequate generation. (Wall Street Journal)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Community leaders seek more input as Indiana officials determine how to spend $100 million in federal funding on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (WTHR)
• An electric vehicle rebate of up to $4,000 is set to launch on July 1 after state officials finalize program details this month. (WBEZ)
SOLAR: Michigan’s second-largest city activates a solar installation at its water filtration plant that will produce 10% of the facility’s power usage. (FOX 17)
GRID:
• Utility officials in South Dakota, which falls under the service territory of both MISO and the Southwest Power Pool, prepare for potential power supply shortages in the coming months. (Argus Leader)
• Pre-construction and land acquisition work begins for the Grain Belt Express transmission project in northeastern Missouri. (Courier Post)
BIOFUELS: Poet, the world’s largest ethanol producer, hopes to meet some of its climate goals early by joining a multi-state carbon capture pipeline project. (Reuters)
WIND: A central Illinois county continues gathering public feedback on how to amend its commercial wind energy ordinance as a developer pursues a project there. (WMBD)
EFFICIENCY:
• Utility officials complete work to replace streetlights in Muncie, Indiana, with energy-efficient LED models. (Muncie Journal)
• A pilot program between Michigan’s green bank and DTE Energy has provided more than 100 customers with low-interest loans and rebates for energy efficiency upgrades. (Yale Climate Connections)
COMMENTARY:
• Ohio legislation to incentivize electric vehicle production and adoption has a “big problem” that allows utilities to recover ratepayer funds for charging infrastructure costs, an editorial board writes. (Cleveland.com)
• The new leader of Minnesota’s transportation department can help “deliver huge progress on climate sustainability and economic stability, and can do so quickly,” says the head of a transportation nonprofit. (MinnPost)
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