Conservative clean energy advocates dismiss Trump’s criticism

POLITICS: Conservative clean energy advocates hope market forces would continue the clean energy transition if former President Trump elected to a second term. (Energy News Network)

COAL: Minnesota Power now estimates a coal ash spill at a northern Minnesota power plant is five times larger than original estimates as clean up efforts continue. (Star Tribune)

OHIO: Five years after being signed into law, HB6 at the center of a bribery scandal in Ohio still subsidizes unprofitable nuclear and coal plants and blocks renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. (Energy News Network)

EMISSIONS: Minnesota regulators grapple with how to define carbon-free electricity sources that comply with a new state law, as woody biomass as well as fossil fuels paired with carbon capture create controversy. (Star Tribune)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• Michigan will receive $129 million in federal grants to accelerate clean energy projects, part of a $4.3 billion federal effort to reduce emissions at the state and local levels. (Michigan Public; Washington Post)
• Michigan’s second-largest city is on pace to power all of its municipal operations with renewable energy by 2025, after signing new contracts for renewable energy credits. (Crain’s Grand Rapids, subscription)
• Minnesota is among the top five states to receive federal funding that helps pay for rural investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. (KFGO)

NUCLEAR: Local school districts and municipalities worry that a utility’s attempt to lower the valuation of a Michigan nuclear plant could have devastating effects on services with lost tax revenue. (MLive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The shift to electric vehicles exposes a divide between U.S. automakers and the oil industry, which had previously worked together to block environmental regulations. (Inside Climate News)

OIL & GAS: Ohio and Indiana are among recipients of $126.7 million in federal funding to plug abandoned oil and gas wells. (Columbus Dispatch)

SOLAR:

• An Indiana county prioritizes decommissioning funding and preserving topsoil in regulations for utility-scale solar projects. (Farm Progress)
• DTE Energy continues construction on a 200-acre solar farm in northeastern Michigan. (WCMU)