Clean energy win in Ohio

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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• Ohio regulators approve a permit for 149 MW of solar and 149 MW of battery storage on reclaimed coal mine land, a rare case of a clean energy project advancing in the state with little opposition. (Canary Media)

PIPELINES

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) renews calls for Enbridge to shut down Line 5 along the Straits of Mackinac lakebottom, saying a recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling requires state regulators to more thoroughly scrutinize the environmental impacts of a proposed tunnel. (Bridge Michigan)

• The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources orders Enbridge to halt work on the reroute of Line 5, saying the company began building a temporary bypass near the site of a recent natural gas liquids spill without state approval. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

SOLAR

• Eight of the top 10 solar-building states in the first half of 2026 voted for President Donald Trump in the last election, as those states tout pro-business policies and need to serve power-hungry industries. (Grist)

DATA CENTERS

• Michigan officials say the state won’t identify companies that seek tax breaks on data center equipment, though supporters of the 2024 incentives legislation say the bill was intended to disclose beneficiaries of the public support. (MLive)

• Dark-sky advocates push for data centers to limit light pollution from facilities, saying it’s a win-win for the environment and companies by reducing their lighting costs and improving safety and security. (Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk)

• Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) and environmental groups push for stronger ratepayer protections as state regulators prepare to vote on DTE’s proposed power supply contracts for a hyperscale Google data center. (Planet Detroit)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Grounded, which makes modular EVs for commercial fleets, recently opened a new production facility in Detroit after considering leaving Michigan for Austin, Texas. (MLive)

GRID

• Dane County, Wisconsin, urges state regulators to require more public input and review of a proposed 190-mile transmission line that would cross the state to the Illinois state line. (WKOW)

• The Republican and Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor both oppose the high-voltage transmission project as political pressure builds on the plan. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

• Google, major utilities, and clean energy groups support MISO’s proposal to fast-track reviews for generation that powers large loads served by the same substation as part of a broader effort to meet rising power demand. (Utility Dive)

STORAGE

• Local planning officials are nearing a decision on Key Capture Energy’s proposed 100-MW battery storage project in western Michigan, as nearby residents say the plan would be better suited for industrial land. (MLive)

EFFICIENCY

• LuxWall, which manufactures energy-efficient windows that insulate as effectively as walls, receives federal funding support to build a new production facility in Detroit. (Crain’s Detroit)m