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Lawsuit challenging massive Illinois coal plant will proceed

By Andy Balaskovitz

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COAL: A federal judge allows a Sierra Club lawsuit, which claims a large southern Illinois coal plant is violating the Clean Air Act, to move forward as the plant operator seeks to dismiss the suit. (St. Louis Public Radio)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

  • Production is delayed until 2027 at an Indiana electric vehicle battery plant jointly run by GM and Samsung as EV sales slow and the companies finalize contract details. (Associated Press)
  • General Motors will bring its electric commercial van startup BrightDrop under the Chevrolet brand in an effort to expand sales beyond delivery companies. (Detroit News, subscription)

SOLAR:

  • Construction has started on an 800 MW solar project 30 miles west of Springfield, Illinois, that the developer says will contribute $100 million in tax revenue. (Newsweek)
  • A developer breaks ground on a 251 MW solar project in southwestern Indiana. (Solar Industry)
  • A central Ohio city council votes down proposed commercial solar regulations that would have accommodated a potential 200-acre project. (Peak of Ohio)

PIPELINES: A carbon pipeline development official tells Iowa landowners that its proposed project is less of a hazard than gas pipelines that already traverse the state. (KCCI)

RENEWABLES: U.S. renewable energy investment is up 63% from pre-Inflation Reduction Act levels, as developers target large wind projects while investment wanes in solar. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR: A Michigan electric cooperative says a contract to buy electricity from a reopened nuclear plant will help get it to 100% carbon-free power by 2030, as opponents seek to block the reopening plan. (Crain’s, subscription)

COMMENTARY:

  • A Natural Resources Defense Council official says updating Michigan’s building codes can make homes more resilient to extreme weather and save homeowners money on utility bills. (Bridge)
  • The mayor of Michigan’s capital city hits back at a GOP congressional candidate’s claims that public electric vehicle investments have failed, saying that the state risks ceding jobs and market share to China by not supporting the industry. (Bridge)
  • PJM’s latest capacity auction with sky-high prices should not be a cause for panic and shows that the grid operator’s market is catching up to the rest of the country in needing to manage supply changes, a former regulator writes. (Utility Dive)

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