Data centers and solar combine in rural Illinois

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DATA CENTERS

• Residents in rural parts of Illinois outside Chicago struggle to keep pace with what they feel is a deluge of data center proposals, warehouses, and solar construction that threaten their communities. (Chicago Tribune)

• Wisconsin residents push back in court as local governments attempt to limit the public disclosure of information about data center plans. (Wisconsin Watch)

• Residents outside Kansas City fear large hyperscale data centers could drive up their electricity bills, though Evergy has provided assurances that increased costs will fall on developers. (Kansas City Star)

OIL & GAS

• An unidentified natural gas drilling company seeks to open more than 8,300 acres in an eastern Ohio wildlife area, which if approved would be the biggest fracking operation on public land in Ohio. (Signal Ohio)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Honda scraps plans to build three EV models in Ohio, citing concerns over waning EV demand, tariffs and economic uncertainty. (Columbus Dispatch)

SOLAR

• An Illinois Senate committee advances legislation allowing plug-in solar panels that would benefit renters and other people who are unable to install grid-connected projects. (WJOL)

UTILITIES

• South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signs a bill into law that limits utilities’ liability for wildfire-related damages as wildfires spread in the Black Hills. (South Dakota Searchlight)

• Minnesota regulators vote to cap executive pay at Xcel Energy at no more than $150,000 a year following criticism from some customers. (E&E News)

• Michigan utilities can now qualify for federal disaster aid more than a year after an ice storm damaged vast sections of the power grid in northern Michigan. (WBUP)

GRID

• An Ohio nonprofit urges lawmakers to pass legislation requiring data center developers to provide their own power to balance power grid supplies with demand in light of high PJM capacity auction prices. (Ohio Capital Journal)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Michigan House Republicans look to undo much of the state’s recent clean energy law that includes a 100% clean energy target by 2040, saying the measures are unattainable and unaffordable. (WLUC)

CLIMATE

• Miami University in Ohio is recognized among six U.S. colleges and universities for its climate commitments, which include a sustainability park with co-located solar and geothermal. (Oxford Free Press)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Did fake comments sink SoCal clean heat rules? Advocates want answers. — Alison F. Takemura

• Sky-high oil prices are about to hit Puerto Rico’s grid — Ysabelle Kempe

• A chapter of California’s rooftop solar battle closes — Kathryn Krawczyk