OHIO:
• Ohio’s new law labeling natural gas as “green energy” was pushed by a pair of dark money political groups that are urging other states to follow suit. (Washington Post)
• The FBI’s corruption investigation surrounding House Bill 6 overlapped with another corruption investigation in the state related to sports betting legislation. (Cleveland.com)
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SOLAR:
• Large solar projects are expected to be the primary source of new renewable generation in Michigan as wind projects draw public backlash. (Bridge Michigan)
• Since 2019, 30 solar projects have been proposed or brought online across Wisconsin that could generate more than 4,000 MW. (HNG News)
• An eastern Ohio county could receive up to $900,000 in annual revenue-sharing payments from a proposed 100 MW solar project. (Herald-Star)
• Northern Illinois city officials table plans for a 7-acre solar project at a technology park over siting concerns. (Bureau County Republican)
ELECTRIFICATION: Some developers say a plan under consideration in Ann Arbor, Michigan to ban gas connections in new buildings would shift too quickly and result in higher construction costs. (MLive)
WIND:
• An Alliant Energy subsidiary is building a facility near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that will recycle decommissioned wind turbine blades. (Des Moines Register)
• Environmental groups and tech companies push back against MidAmerican Energy’s proposed $4 billion wind energy investment, saying the money could be better spent on other technologies. (E&E News, subscription)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A planned $4.4 billion electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Ohio would be AES Ohio’s largest customer. (Ideastream)
CARBON CAPTURE:
• Two carbon pipeline developers have filed a total of nine lawsuits in Iowa seeking favorable judgments allowing land surveyors to access properties for proposed projects. (Sioux City Journal)
• An Indiana ethanol plant and a developer are seeking regulatory approval to capture carbon emissions from the plant and inject them into a nearby well. (S&P Global)
• Opposition builds in central Illinois toward a developer’s plan for an interstate carbon capture pipeline. (Center Square)
NUCLEAR: The Nebraska Public Power District will study the state’s potential to host small modular nuclear reactors. (Omaha World-Herald)
OIL & GAS: Michigan is set to receive $25 million in federal funding to advance cleanup work on more than 400 orphaned oil wells across the state. (Bridge Michigan)
GRID:
• An eastern Iowa city seeks state and federal funding to offset the costs of a nearly $20 million grid resilience project to bury power lines. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Both General Motors and Ford will participate in programs allowing electric vehicles to act as “virtual power plants” and transfer stored power to the grid during high demand periods. (Michigan Radio)
UTILITIES: Ohio regulators are expected to decide soon whether a major energy aggregator has the capacity to continue operating. (FOX 8)
EMISSIONS: University of Michigan researchers say the Great Lakes region could be a world leader in the voluntary carbon offset market and generate up to $783 billion in revenue by 2050. (MLive)
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TRANSPORTATION: A Detroit company plans to produce 5,000 electric bikes this year as demand is expected to grow sharply. (Bridge Detroit)
COMMENTARY:
• The head of a regional economic development organization says a 1,300 MW solar project under development could spur job creation and investments in northwestern Indiana. (Times of Northwest Indiana)
• Electric cooperative and clean energy officials say Iowa lawmakers should avoid knee-capping solar development with legislation that would ban projects on land with above-average corn suitability. (Des Moines Register)
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