Indiana coal plant ordered to stay open can’t run

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.

COAL

• Indiana’s Schahfer coal plant that the Trump administration ordered to stay online under reliability and affordability claims hasn’t operated for months and won’t reopen until at least the fall as it faces costly repairs . (Canary Media)

• A southwestern Ohio county threatens to sue Duke Energy over unlined coal ash storage sites that they say could potentially pollute drinking water, though the company says the cleanup liability falls on the county. (FOX 19)

DATA CENTERS

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other tech executives join Michigan leaders for the groundbreaking of a $56 billion hyperscale data center that remains controversial among residents and Democratic lawmakers. (Bridge)

• An eastern Iowa city near Cedar Rapids advances a data center zoning ordinance as residents continue to push for additional protections for water use, traffic, and pollution. (Iowa Public Radio)

• Dozens of Ohio residents submit testimony to a state legislative committee opposing data center development, claiming lawmakers’ response to include development guardrails has been too slow. (Ohio Capital Journal)

GRID

• Nebraska regulators approve plans for a controversial 220-mile, $800 million transmission line through the Sandhills region that utility officials say is crucial to relieve grid congestion and improve reliability. (Nebraska Public Media)

• Twelve Wisconsin Republican lawmakers urge federal regulators to reject utilities’ request to pause competition for major transmission projects, claiming the move would cost consumers more to meet data center demand. (Wisconsin Watch)

BATTERIES

• Chinese-backed battery maker Gotion sues a small Michigan township to recoup investments made before local officials rescinded a development agreement for a $2.4 billion battery factory. (Bridge)

ELECTRIFICATION

• Clean energy advocates say the Trump administration’s new guidance that bars the use of federal energy efficiency rebates for switching from fossil fuels to electricity for heating is ​“flatly illegal.” (Inside Climate News)

UTILITIES

• Nearly 150 Michigan elected officials and candidates pledge to not accept campaign contributions over $200 from utilities, PACs, and lobbyists amid growing support for refusing utility campaign support. (Planet Detroit)

• Illinois lawmakers pass utility billing transparency legislation that will create an online portal detailing bill charges to customers. (WAND)

SOLAR

• A Michigan township planning commission denies Ranger Power’s request to build a second phase of a commercial solar project, though the developer could ultimately seek state approval. (MLive)

• A community solar project on a former East St. Louis, Illinois, landfill could cut participants’ utility bills by up to 40%, backers say. (FOX 2)

WIND

• A central Wisconsin county seeks public input on Alliant Energy’s plan for an up-to-38-turbine wind project. (Wasau Pilot and Review)