Indiana utility cites solar supply chain in delaying coal plant closure

SOLAR:
• Indiana utility NIPSCO says it will delay the retirement of its largest coal plant by two years, blaming a federal investigation that is causing supply chain uncertainty for solar projects. (E&E News)
• Central Ohio county officials are divided over two proposed commercial solar projects that will ultimately be decided by state regulators. (Circleville Herald)

PIPELINES: A developer abandons plans for a cross-state natural gas pipeline in North Dakota, citing regulatory uncertainty, limited demand and rising construction costs. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Wisconsin policymakers will work through the summer on a plan to spend nearly $79 million in federal funding to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• ComEd commits $225,000 to a new local initiative meant to help northern Illinois communities expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (NGT News)
• A Columbus, Ohio suburb grows the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations through a rebate program. (Columbus Dispatch)

CLIMATE: Despite experiencing more severe rainfall and flooding, about a quarter of Minnesota cities, counties and tribal nations don’t have plans to address extreme weather caused by climate change. (MPR News)

CLEAN ENERGY: High upfront costs often deter Kansas City residents from investing in clean energy projects or electric vehicles. (KCUR)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota regulators approve a $1.6 million water pipeline, and will soon consider a proposal for a gas pipeline, to support operations at a former coal plant that’s being converted to run on natural gas. (Bismarck Tribune)

GRID: Downstate Illinois manufacturers raise concerns about rising electricity costs following a recent auction by grid operator MISO showing capacity constraints. (WGEM)

COMMENTARY:
• Michigan’s energy affordability crisis and the climate crisis should ​“force us to act and change our energy systems,” write local elected officials in Detroit and the Upper Peninsula. (Bridge Michigan)
• While Chicago’s climate action plan sets bold clean energy targets, it could go further on environmental justice to directly help frontline communities, clean energy advocates write. (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• The developer of a proposed utility-scale wind project in Ohio writes that the economic benefits of the proposal are getting lost in local debates over the project. (CrawfordCountyNow.com)