Clean energy jobs rebound from pandemic losses

CLEAN ENERGY JOBS: Advanced transportation drove clean energy job growth in Michigan last year, according to a new report analyzing federal jobs data. (MiBiz)

ALSO:
• Michigan and Ohio are uniquely positioned for clean energy job growth based on their auto manufacturing legacies and recent federal policy, the report says. (Toledo Blade)
• Clean energy employment grew 5.5% in Missouri and 7% in Indiana, while Wisconsin saw more sluggish job growth than the rest of the region. (News Tribune, WVPE, Wisconsin Public Radio)

SOLAR:
• Wisconsin regulators deny a utility group’s request for more time to gather evidence in a high-stakes case over third-party solar financing. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• Solar or storage projects are planned at several former or soon-to-close coal plants, including in Illinois and Minnesota. (Fast Company)

BATTERIES: Ohio will offer roughly $156.3 million in incentives to help lure a battery manufacturing project planned by Honda and LG. (Columbus Dispatch)

NUCLEAR: Two Canadian companies announce a strategic partnership to acquire Westinghouse Electric for nearly $7.9 billion, creating a North American nuclear energy powerhouse that owns generation and uranium supplies. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)

TRANSPORTATION: Chicago transit advocates raise concerns over a state transportation plan that calls for more expressway lanes instead of prioritizing public transit. (Chicago Sun-Times)

GRID:
• DTE Energy is increasing its grid infrastructure spending in part to support electric vehicle adoption and broader electrification, officials say. (CBS Detroit)
• Ameren submits a plan to state regulators for a short transmission line in northern Illinois that the utility says would reduce outages and shorten restoration times. (WLPO)

UTILITIES: Ohio communities increasingly consider gas and electric aggregation programs in hopes of securing lower energy prices through collective negotiations. (Dayton Daily News)

WIND:
• A developer files plans for a 559 MW wind project in northeastern Kansas that would contribute roughly $7.5 million in county revenue over the next 10 years. (Washington County News)
• County officials hold an informational meeting for a planned 60-turbine wind project in southeastern Iowa. (Radio Iowa)
• A central Michigan township considers more restrictive wind energy siting regulations after local officials failed to advance a previous version for several months. (Daily News)

CLIMATE: A conference in Madison, Wisconsin, next week will examine the state’s efforts to mitigate climate change. (WUWM)

COMMENTARY: Minnesota activists say carbon pipelines are risky and currently ​“dangerously unregulated,” raising concerns that projects are primarily being pursued for profit. (MinnPost)