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Looming Ohio court decisions could further stall solar

By Andy Balaskovitz

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SOLAR: A pair of upcoming decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court could decide whether local opposition is enough for regulators to deny solar projects that otherwise meet all statutory criteria. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:

  • Iowa’s most populous county will invest $2.3 million to install solar panels on publicly owned buildings, which could save $5 million in energy costs over the next 30 years. (KCCI)
  • A 180 MW solar project that incorporates soybeans, alfalfa and forage crop production is now operational in central Ohio. (PV Magazine)
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide a forgivable loan to the developer of a Nebraska solar project that will help power city operations. (Nebraska Public Media)

COAL: Approximately 1 million gallons of coal ash wastewater leak from a northern Minnesota power plant into a nearby lake along the Mississippi River. (News Tribune)

PIPELINES: Eight formal requests ranging from environmental groups to Republican lawmakers have been filed asking Iowa regulators to reconsider their approval of a carbon pipeline project. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

CLEAN ENERGY:

  • A new Michigan law preventing homeowners associations from blocking clean energy upgrades may also apply to mobile home parks, but more study is needed, according to state officials. (MLive, subscription)
  • Wisconsin labor leaders join clean energy advocates to call on state lawmakers to support renewable energy development. (WEAU)

POLITICS: Attorneys ask a judge to dismiss 14 criminal counts against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is accused of promoting favorable legislation for ComEd in exchange for jobs for associates, after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling condoned ​“gratuities” to public officials. (Sun-Times)

CARBON CAPTURE: Indiana’s consumer advocate says state regulators should reject Duke Energy’s request for customers to pay for a carbon capture and storage feasibility study. (Power Engineering)

ELECTRIFICATION:

  • A Minnesota grant program helps a landscaping company switch from gas to electric equipment that reduces workers’ exposure to harmful emissions. (WCCO)
  • Unwanted, used electronics piling up at homes across Michigan and the country could be recycled and provide critical minerals needed for electrification, experts say. (Bridge)

EMISSIONS: A new lawsuit claims Michigan regulators manipulated air quality data to approve a pollution permit for a politically connected Detroit concrete producer. (Planet Detroit)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Michigan news outlet will rent an electric vehicle for a 1,000-mile road trip around Lake Michigan to Wisconsin to test the reliability of the region’s charging infrastructure. (Bridge)

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