Indiana utility’s big data center power spend

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.

DATA CENTERS

• Indiana Michigan Power seeks state permission to build or buy up to 3,300 MW of gas and up to 800 MW of clean energy to serve data centers that consumer advocates say could cost $5 billion. (Indiana Public Media)
• Wisconsin still has little to no regulations in place to mitigate environmental impacts and increase transparency around data centers as the state encounters a wave of interest from tech companies. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association wants the state Supreme Court to reverse state regulators’ decision creating special electric rates for data centers that they argue discriminates against other customers. (Ohio Capital Journal)

GRID

• The Grain Belt Express developer asks the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that blocked a permit for the $7 billion project in an ongoing challenge from the Farm Bureau. (E&E News)
• Missouri regulators ask utilities to provide detailed wildfire prevention plans to protect the grid from incidents caused by power lines. (The Beacon)

BATTERIES

• A company cancels plans for a St. Louis lithium-iron phosphate plant after the Trump administration canceled a $200 million grant in support of the project. (E&E News)
• Minnesota utility watchdogs question whether Xcel Energy’s proposed $430 million battery buildout plan is a good deal for ratepayers as the utility estimates the program costs would likely outweigh benefits. (Minnesota Reformer)

UTILITIES

• FirstEnergy asks Ohio utilities for permission to charge customers for $108 million in lobbying and donations that the company improperly classified as construction expenses, though it’s unclear whether that money was paid in bribes during the HB 6 scandal. (Ohio Capital Journal)

OIL & GAS

• Environmental groups, counties, and farmers criticize an Ohio Senate bill aimed at generating revenue for plugging orphaned oil and gas wells with provisions that make it easier to drill new wells. (Ohio Capital Journal)

COAL

• An executive at the owner of three North Dakota coal mines says growing power demand and support from the Trump administration could lead to new coal plants in several states, including North Dakota. (North Dakota Monitor)
• An Indiana panel assembled by Republican Gov. Mike Braun recommends tapping the state’s ample coal waste for rare earth metals widely used in consumer electronics. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

PIPELINES

• The Army Corps of Engineers delays a final permit decision for Enbridge’s plan to encase the Line 5 pipeline in an underground tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac after releasing an additional environmental review. (E&E News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Environmental groups dispute claims by Michigan Republican lawmakers and steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs that an Upper Peninsula iron ore mine could close if new state clean energy laws force the closure of U.P. gas plants. (MLive)

OVERSIGHT

• Indiana officials announce nine finalists to fill three vacant seats on the state’s Utility Regulatory Commission as public scrutiny over rising energy costs grows. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)