Detroit activists want more accountability for power outages

UTILITIES: Dozens of energy activists gather in Detroit to support state legislation that would increase financial relief for customers affected by power outages and force more accountability from utilities. (Energy News Network/​Planet Detroit)

PIPELINES:
• Carbon capture pipeline proposals raise key questions about whether carbon storage technology will be an effective tool for combating climate change. (South Dakota News Watch)
• Environmental advocates say Illinois’ aging pipeline infrastructure threatens more spills similar to an incident that is still being cleaned up. (Intelligencer)
• An Ohio judge rejects a gas company’s request to use eminent domain to install a pipeline through preserved farmland. (Farm and Dairy)

COAL: A ceremony marks the formal sale of North Dakota’s largest coal plant and associated transmission lines. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• A new pilot program will install solar panels on 10 lower-income Cleveland households and potentially lead to more solar projects in economically disadvantaged parts of the city. (Cleveland.com)
• Developers propose a 5 MW solar project in central Illinois that could qualify for state incentives under the state’s Clean Energy Jobs Act. (WGLT)
• A public hearing is scheduled this week for a proposed 150 MW solar project in northwestern Ohio. (Toledo Blade)
• A bipartisan group of U.S. senators calls on the Biden administration to quickly conclude an investigation into the alleged evasion of import tariffs by Chinese solar manufacturers to avoid ​“massive price spikes.” (S&P Global)

NUCLEAR:
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s support for keeping open a nuclear power plant marks a political shift around nuclear energy, which is increasingly seen as a valuable clean energy resource. (HuffPost)
• Michigan officials celebrate the launch of a Michigan State University facility that’s expected to be the nation’s premier center for nuclear research. (MLive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• University of Minnesota officials begin collecting data from its transportation fleet as it prepares to transition to electric models. (Minnesota Daily)
• One of the largest U.S. coal mining companies will become a ​“significant minority shareholder” in electric vehicle charging company Francis Energy. (E&E News)

COMMENTARY: A pro-clean energy business group in Iowa seeks regulatory changes to overhaul the way utilities charge for electricity and eliminate rate disparities in different regions, a columnist writes. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)