Advocates seek ​‘restorative justice’ from Chicago gas utility

UTILITIES: Consumer and environmental groups urge Illinois regulators to pursue ​“restorative justice” in a Peoples Gas rate case to address alleged environmental racism in the utility’s record of customer disconnections. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: Dozens of Kansas cities still have outstanding balances with the state to pay off loans related to spiking gas costs from a February 2021 winter storm. (KSNT)

CLEAN ENERGY: A coalition of 20 Illinois school districts will receive federal grant funding to support a variety of clean energy projects, including electric buses, solar installations and a microgrid. (NPR Illinois)

OHIO: Last-minute changes to Ohio’s massive budget bill will allow gas companies to bill ratepayers for hydrogen infrastructure, and establish a nuclear development authority that has failed to pass the legislature three times. (Energy News Network)

CARBON CAPTURE:
• North Dakota counties consider whether to hire an outside attorney to protect local carbon pipeline ordinances that a developer says are superseded by state law. (Bismarck Tribune)
• South Dakota lawmakers disagree on whether to call a special legislative session to consider carbon pipeline restrictions. (The Globe)
• Iowa regulators schedule public hearings for a developer’s plan to add 31 miles to a previously proposed carbon pipeline to connect to an ethanol plant near the Minnesota border. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

SOLAR: A Michigan fire department acquires a new product that lets firefighters instantly shut down solar panels when fighting blazes. (CBS Detroit)

GRID:
• Michigan utility Consumers Energy plans a pilot project to bury power lines in six counties to help improve grid reliability. (Detroit News)
• Federal regulators approve a $1.8 million penalty against six Exelon utilities for violating federal grid reliability standards. (RTO Insider, subscription)

OVERSIGHT: The former chairperson of the Illinois Commerce Commission returns to the position to take up issues involving the state’s climate policy, carbon capture pipelines and utility rate increases. (State Journal-Register)

WIND: Central Iowa county officials consider plans for more restrictive wind energy regulations as some residents call for farther setback distances. (The Messenger)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will launch an electric vehicle readiness study to determine charging infrastructure needs. (Dakota News Now)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota regulators approve a pair of enhanced oil recovery projects to allow more oil to be captured from wells and maintain steady production. (KFYR)