Critics rail against federal ​“emergency” forcing coal plants to stay open

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.

OVERSIGHT

• State regulators, grid operators, environmentalists, and consumer groups question the logic behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s order forcing the aging J.H. Campbell coal plant in Michigan and a Pennsylvania coal plant to remain open past their scheduled shutdowns. (Canary Media)

• The Illinois Auditor General reports that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration failed to meet key equity provisions of the state’s law to attain 100% clean energy by 2050. (WAND)

• The Indiana Department of Environmental Management announces it will extend the effective time frame for solid and hazardous waste permits, revise air pollution oversight, and make changes to eight other rules because of Gov. Mike Braun’s executive order to find efficiencies in state environmental rules. (Indiana Public Radio)

GRID

• Ohio regulators back a proposal to charge Amazon, Google, and other tech companies higher rates for high power demand that’s forcing utilities to make costly grid upgrades. (Washington Post)

• Michigan regulators approve a 55-mile transmission line from the Michigan-Indiana border to a new substation. (WTVB)

CARBON CAPTURE

• Illinois lawmakers pass a bill to limit carbon capture and sequestration proposals around the Mahomet Aquifer, which supplies water to about 800,000 people and which has been the site of three carbon capture proposals. (Inside Climate News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Republicans’ federal budget bill could endanger Minnesota’s state law to reach a 100% carbon-free grid by 2040, but utilities say it’s still attainable. (MinnPost)

UTILITIES

• Federal prosecutors seek a 6-year sentence for former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, who was convicted with three others of a conspiracy to influence the Illinois state house speaker to assist the utility’s legislation. (Chicago Tribune)

• Kansas regulators approve two 710 MW gas-fired power plants and a 159 MW solar farm for Evergy Inc. despite opposition to the projects. (Lawrence Journal-World)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Panasonic Holdings is reportedly postponing its plan to bring its new, $4 billion Kansas electric vehicle battery plant to full capacity because of sluggish EV sales. (Reuters)

NUCLEAR

• Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signs bills to host a nuclear energy summit and direct state regulators to compile a list of pre-certified locations to build reactors at both existing power generation sites and new ones. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

• Federal regulators press Holtec International about the need for repairs to steam generator tubes at the 1970s-era Palisades Nuclear Power Plant that was closed three years ago but is set to reopen later this year. (MLive)

• Nebraska regulators discuss the possibility of building small modular nuclear reactors in a small city, largely because of its electric transmission infrastructure. (Lincoln Journal-Star)

SOLAR

• Minnesota regulators approve two solar farms totaling 475 MW, including one that includes a 50 MW battery storage system. (Power Engineering)

• Invenergy begins operation of a 250 MW solar farm in Indiana. (PV Tech)

• An Ohio county board votes against a proposed 142 MW solar farm, though the Ohio Power Siting Board will make the final regulatory decision. (Scioto Post)

RENEWABLES

• A report from climate policy think tank Energy Innovation finds Trump’s new budget bill will cost the average Michigan customer $320 annually by 2035 by causing an 8%-15% increase in energy rates from undercutting renewables. (Planet Detroit)

BIOFUELS

• Local and state leaders who represent a Chicago neighborhood push for additional air monitoring and emissions testing at a vegetable oil plant that’s long been the source of complaints from residents. (Block Club Chicago)

• Minnesota farmers tout the federal budget bill for extending the clean energy fuel production credit through 2029, which supports the use of ethanol as a sustainable aviation fuel. (CBS News)