A nuclear restart in Michigan

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

NUCLEAR

• The next nuclear reactor to plug into the U.S. power grid could be just months away, as the Palisades plant in southwestern Michigan prepares to come back online. (Canary Media)

WIND

• Minnesota stands to lose four wind projects and about $1.6 billion in investment as the Trump administration freezes a necessary and once-routine national security review for proposed developments, according to a progressive think tank. (Minnesota Reformer)

DATA CENTERS

• The Sierra Club sues a Wisconsin agency over its environmental review and diesel generator air permits for Oracle’s $15 billion data center near Lake Michigan. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• The president of the Indianapolis City-County Council plans to introduce a moratorium on new data center developments after multiple proposals have been approved. (Mirror Indy)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Indiana seeks federal approval to create its own coal ash permitting program and take on oversight as the U.S. EPA looks to scale back regulations. (Indianapolis Star)
• Four southeastern Ohio fracking-waste injection wells voluntarily shut down after a notice from state officials, raising concerns among local environmental advocates about potential impacts to water wells. (Athens Independent)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Xcel Energy provides a $500,000 grant to expand a Minneapolis electric vehicle car-sharing program. (Star Tribune)

UTILITIES

• Consumers Energy seeks relief from the Michigan Supreme Court as part of a tax dispute with the state’s treasury department involving out-of-state energy sales. (Detroit News)

PIPELINES

• A proposed settlement would require the Keystone Pipeline system operator to pay a $26.9 million civil fine over a major Kansas oil spill in 2022 and spend about $40 million more to prevent future accidents. (Associated Press)

SOLAR

• Minnesota regulators approve plans for a 150-MW solar and battery storage project in a rural southern part of the state that officials say will help meet clean energy and economic development goals. (MPR News)
• A developer pitches plans for a 100-MW solar project near Springfield, Illinois, that would include $25,000 in ​“neighborhood benefit grants” to homeowners and renters within 1,000 feet of the project. (Illinois Times)
• Chicago-based developer Nexamp withdraws plans for a southern Illinois solar project after residents organized opposition. (WCIA)