OHIO: FirstEnergy is being investigated by an Ohio office focused on organized crime after the company admitted to bribing a former top regulator and lawmaker for favorable legislation. (Cleveland.com)
GRID:
• After a favorable court ruling, the utilities developing a contested transmission line through Wisconsin must now wait for a federal review to determine whether it can cross wildlife areas. (E&E News)
• Three Wisconsin companies that are leaders in the home generator industry are experiencing a boom in sales as extreme weather events and subsequent power outages become more common. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to soon veto a bill that would give Ameren first rights to build transmission lines in the state. (Center Square)
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SOLAR:
• Minnesota farmers and rural advocates grapple with questions about whether prime farmland should be used for solar energy generation. (Inforum)
• A western Iowa county advances a local ordinance regulating home and commercial solar projects. (KCAU)
• A Wisconsin county board unsuccessfully attempts to override a veto of a resolution that would have encouraged solar installations on future commercial developments. (Kenosha News)
PIPELINES:
• South Dakota regulators consider safety concerns related to a carbon pipeline project, including whether it should be required to add an odorant to help with leak detection. (South Dakota Searchlight, KELO)
• Environmental groups pushing to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac have recently experienced both legal wins and setbacks. (WTVG)
OIL & GAS: The U.S. Coast Guard deployed a boom in Lake Michigan on Wednesday to contain a diesel fuel leak from a cargo vessel. (WOOD-TV8)
EMISSIONS: Advocates say the operator of a Missouri coal plant should seek federal funding to invest in clean energy after Gov. Mike Parson vetoed a loan for a nearby aluminum smelter to make air quality improvements. (KCRU)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Iowa City, Iowa, is considering a new fee for electric vehicle charging at public stations in the city’s six downtown parking ramps to offset other costs. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• Michigan’s next state budget includes $125 million for purchasing electric school buses, $212 million for energy efficiency rebates, and $20 million to improve air quality in environmental justice communities. (Michigan Advance)
• Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois is poised to be the “most promising state” for clean energy investments at the groundbreaking of an electric vehicle research hub. (Pantagraph)
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