UTILITIES: In an agreement with Ohio’s attorney general, FirstEnergy will avoid state criminal charges in the corruption scandal surrounding a 2019 bailout law by paying a $20 million settlement — a tiny fraction of the windfall the company continues to receive from ratepayers. (Ohio Capital Journal)
ALSO: Emails show a Missouri regulator urged Gov. Mike Parson to reject a rule that would have required utilities to provide zip code-level data on power shutoffs. (Energy and Policy Institute)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Minnesota lawmaker says efforts to tax electric vehicles to meet gasoline tax shortfalls are premature: “We’re not at a point where electric cars are in any way, shape or form quote-unquote ‘stealing’ from the gas tax.” (Politico)
EFFICIENCY: Developers of a data center planned in New Albany, Ohio, pledge it will use less energy and water than similar facilities, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy. (Columbus Dispatch, subscription)
SOLAR:
- A pair of rural Michigan townships approve a 120 MW solar project after years of pushback and a court challenge from developers. (MLive, subscription)
- New regulations being considered in Sedgwick County, Kansas, could scuttle a proposed $200 million solar farm. (Wichita Business Journal, subscription)
- Officials in Douglas County in northeast Kansas consider a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement for a proposed 159 MW solar project. (Lawrence Journal-World, subscription)
- Opponents of a proposed 40 MW solar project pack a city council meeting in an Ohio town, as officials consider a new solar ordinance and whether to annex a portion of the proposed project. (Peak of Ohio)
NUCLEAR: Economic development officials in a Nebraska city are enthusiastic about being selected as a possible site for a small modular reactor. (Kearney Hub)
CLIMATE: Volunteers use heat monitors to help provide more detailed data on which parts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area are heating up the fastest. (MPR News)
COMMENTARY:
- An editorial board highlights Minnesota’s rapid transition to clean energy as an example of how Canadian provinces can do more to attract investment. (Globe and Mail)
- An Iowa community college president highlights the schools’ role in training workers for the clean energy industry. (Des Moines Register)
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