Indiana’s patchwork of rules limits renewable energy growth, advocates say

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RENEWABLES

• Seventy-two of Indiana’s 92 counties have a moratorium or ban on utility-scale renewable energy projects, creating a patchwork of policies that advocates say holds the state back from development. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

SOLAR

• Clean energy advocates say Michigan can target its abundant former industrial brownfield properties for solar development to avoid public pushback that’s more common for projects on farmland or forests. (Inside Climate News)

• Tariffs on various imported Chinese products are expected to make solar installations more expensive for Wisconsin homes, businesses, and utilities, advocates and executives say. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

• Consumers Energy breaks ground on a 2.5 MW community solar project in central Michigan. (MLive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• The CEO of Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup Slate chose Indiana as its first site to manufacture affordable electric trucks because of the availability of a vacant factory and support from the community. (Indianapolis Star)

PIPELINES

• The Army Corps of Engineers releases its shortened timeline for reviewing an underground tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac that cuts a 60-day public comment period in half. (Interlochen Public Radio)

NUCLEAR

• Illinois lawmakers debate legislation to repeal the state’s moratorium on the construction of new nuclear reactors bigger than 300 MW in capacity. (WJOL)

• Whether the Trump administration and Congress can agree on policy and financial support for U.S. nuclear plants will play a key role in the industry’s growth, observers say. (States Newsroom)

GRID

• Natural gas represents two-thirds of the 51 shovel-ready power plant additions and upgrades PJM has selected to move up in its interconnection queue to help ward off capacity shortfalls by 2030. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy manufacturing tax credits could jeopardize nearly $40 billion in investments and more than 25,000 jobs in Michigan, a climate advocacy group says in a new report. (Michigan Advance)

CLIMATE

• The latest rate increase request by Michigan’s largest electric utility, DTE Energy, shows how utilities are grappling with aging grid infrastructure as they also plan to make the grid more resilient from climate change. (Detroit Free Press)