Groups seek $500 million penalty in FirstEnergy bribery scandal

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UTILITIES

• An Ohio manufacturing group and the state’s consumer advocate say FirstEnergy utilities should pay more than $500 million for violations stemming from the HB 6 corruption scandal as the company argues for a much smaller penalty. (Canary Media)

• Chicago-based Exelon, one of the largest utilities in the country, is considering returning to building power generation projects to help meet rising demand on the grid. (E&E News)

GRID

• Minnesota has emerged as a large player in the microgrid space, hosting several companies and research initiatives to support manufacturing and design of projects that provide key grid reliability support. (MinnPost)

• Utility regulators in five Republican states say MISO overstated the benefits of an approved $22 billion package of transmission projects, claiming the investments shift costs to help other states meet climate goals. (E&E News)

COAL

• It cost a Michigan coal plant $29 million to operate for the first month after the U.S. Department of Energy ordered it to stay open past its retirement date in late May. (Detroit News)

EMISSIONS

• Ford sees a ​“multi-billion-dollar opportunity” in the next few years to focus more on making gas-powered large trucks and SUVs while selling and cutting spending on federal emission compliance credits. (Detroit News)

NUCLEAR

• NextEra takes a step toward restarting a shuttered Iowa nuclear plant by seeking permission to reclaim its interconnection rights, a move that could jeopardize a large solar project planned on site. (E&E News)

• An Iowa county attempting to be proactive by establishing zoning rules for potential nuclear power development faces pushback from community members over potential waste concerns. (Iowa Public Radio)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Ohio natural gas plants built solely to power data centers owned by big tech companies are eligible to take advantage of significant sales tax breaks. (Signal Ohio)

• Energy company CEOs seek $500 million in state-backed support in North Dakota to build a natural gas pipeline that would move supplies to industrial sites in the eastern part of the state. (Bismarck Tribune)

SOLAR

• An eastern Michigan county attempting to block a solar project over potential public health concerns faces a lawsuit from DTE Energy that claims the concerns are masquerading as illegal zoning restrictions. (MLive)

• Ameren Illinois begins construction on a $20 million solar project in Peoria that executives say is a key way to bring on generation quickly to meet growing demand. (WCBU)

• An Ohio Democrat and Republican introduce bipartisan legislation in the state Senate to create a community solar pilot program that would match similar legislation in the state House. (Solar Power World)

CARBON CAPTURE

• Agribusiness giant Acher-Daniels-Midland plans to restart CO2 injections at an Illinois site that’s been shut down for nearly a year after federal officials found that brine and CO2 likely leaked to unauthorized areas. (E&E News)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• We know how to decarbonize energy. The food sector should take notes. — Michael Grunwald

• Chart: The clean-energy manufacturing boom is going bust — Dan McCarthy

• North Carolina approves Duke Energy plan to let customers access their data — Elizabeth Ouzts

• New York becomes first state to commit to all-electric new buildings — Alison F. Takemura