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Indiana leaders want more renewables

By Andy Balaskovitz

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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.

RENEWABLES

  • Dozens of Indiana counties have bans or strict regulations on utility-scale wind and solar development, drawing concerns from the state’s top energy official as leaders seek to attract more manufacturing and data centers. (Indianapolis Star)

BATTERIES

  • The Department of Energy confirms it canceled more than $700 million in Biden-era grants for large battery storage manufacturing plants, including projects in St. Louis and Detroit. (E&E News)

CLIMATE

  • Teachers in Illinois public schools starting next year will be required by law to educate students on climate change, though the state hasn’t allocated funding to support the rollout. (Inside Climate News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

  • Michigan raises annual electric vehicle registration fees by $100, or 83%, as part of a new road-funding plan, making the state tied for first in highest EV fees nationwide. (MLive)

EFFICIENCY

  • The Minneapolis City Council considers raising utility franchise fees to pay for programs that help residents fund home energy efficiency upgrades. (Sahan Journal)

GRID

  • Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory find correlation between utilities’ increasing spending on distribution and transmission infrastructure and rising utility rates. (Inside Climate News)

SOLAR

  • Delayed federal rulemaking for handling an oncoming wave of solar panel waste leaves states to devise their own policies, though 15 states still lack any policy framework. (Inside Climate News)

PIPELINES

  • Iowa Republican Congress member Randy Feenstra, who plans to run for governor, says eminent domain should not be used for the Summit carbon pipeline. (Radio Iowa)

UTILITIES

  • AES Indiana agrees to cut its proposed $193 million rate increase by more than half as part of a deal with cities and large companies, though the state’s consumer advocate declines to sign on, saying the utility should reduce rates overall. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

  • The federal government shutdown delays utility payment assistance for thousands of low-income Minnesota homeowners. (Forum News Service)

BIOFUELS

  • The CEO of Gevo says South Dakota is a difficult place to do business as he looks to move a planned sustainable jet fuel plant to North Dakota following disputes over the Summit carbon pipeline. (South Dakota Searchlight)

COMMENTARY

  • Indiana should support utility customer-owned power generation projects while limiting incentives for utilities to make capital investments to help curb rising electric rates, an energy attorney writes. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

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