Clean energy silver lining in new Ohio law

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

CLEAN ENERGY

• A new Ohio law meant to spur power generation projects includes many technology-neutral incentives, which clean energy advocates expect to work in favor of renewables and energy storage. (Canary Media)

• A western Michigan township is poised to end a moratorium on wind, solar, and storage projects after working on a siting ordinance for a year and a half. (MLive)

COAL

• Consumers Energy says a Trump administration order to delay the closure of a western Michigan coal plant will not affect the timeline of the site’s ongoing coal ash remediation plan, but will raise costs for ratepayers. (MLive, MLive)

• Michigan conservatives hope the plant’s operational timeline is extended beyond three months, and that the Trump administration saves another large coal plant along Lake Erie. (E&E News)

PIPELINES

• Attorneys for Greenpeace ask a judge to reduce the $667 million in damages the organization owes to Dakota Access pipeline developer Energy Transfer, claiming a jury’s decision was based on bias against the protest movement. (North Dakota Monitor)

SOLAR

• Minnesota solar company owners say repealing federal clean energy tax credits would derail the state’s growing industry that’s made solar more accessible to middle- and low-income residents. (Star Tribune)

• Vistra asks federal regulators for two-year extensions on deadlines to connect Illinois solar and storage projects totaling 833 MW, citing multi-year wait times for critical equipment. (Utility Dive)

• A 5.7 MW solar project completed next to an Illinois Toyota plant will meet about 85% of the facility’s power needs. (Solar Power World)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A former western North Dakota coal mine that will begin processing nickel mined in Minnesota is touted as a way to reduce reliance on other countries for critical materials in electric vehicles and electronics. (North Dakota Monitor)

DATA CENTERS

• The developer of a $12.1 billion Kansas data center would need to draw power from the Southwest Power Pool since its 600 MW of demand is more than the local public utility’s capacity. (Kansas Reflector)

• Ohio regulators approve Amazon’s request to install onsite gas-powered generators to power two data centers. (WOSU)

OIL & GAS

• A Continental Resources pipeline failure in North Dakota caused roughly 73,000 barrels of brine to spill and contaminate surrounding grassy land. (North Dakota Monitor)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Startup OCOchem wants to clean up the traditional chemical-making process by replacing large, fossil fuel-powered machines with more, smaller machines powered by electricity, Jeff St. John reports.