Michigan launches lakeshore EV charging network

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveils the first phase of an electric vehicle charging network in state parks along the Lake Michigan shoreline. (Holland Sentinel)
• A new J.D. Power study shows auto shoppers are more likely than ever to consider buying an electric vehicle. (Detroit News)

EFFICIENCY:
• Kansas City considers amending its building codes to make new developments more energy efficient and prepare for electrification. (Kansas City Star)
• A Cleveland suburb will contract for a no-cost energy audit to find potential efficiency savings, likely through HVAC and building envelope upgrades. (Cleveland.com)

COAL: A Missouri agency plans to scale back coal ash permit requirements as the federal government begins to crack down on coal ash pollution. (E&E News)

WIND: A small Missouri town north of St. Louis has become a hub for recycling wind turbine blades from around the country. (St. Louis Public Radio)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota officials intervene to start cleaning up abandoned bags of a radioactive hydraulic fracturing byproduct that have started to leak into a nearby river. (KXNET)

SOLAR:
• Iowa county officials approve plans for a $250 million commercial solar project that will provide millions of dollars to local schools over the life of the installation. (WQAD)
• A southeastern Michigan city will begin providing $2,000 rebates to residents who want to install solar panels on their homes. (MLive)
• New research shows that bifacial solar panels that take in sunlight from both sides produce substantially more electricity during winter months compared to one-sided panels. (Inside Climate News)
• An Illinois hog farm breaks ground on a 3 MW solar array to help offset rising energy costs. (Solar Builder)

GRID:
• Grid operator MISO files a proposal with federal regulators that would allow incumbent utilities to build certain transmission projects without competition and facilitate a $10.4 billion long-term transmission plan. (Utility Dive)
• Construction continues on a controversial transmission line between Iowa and Wisconsin up to a wildlife refuge area that is still part of a legal dispute. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)
• Downstate Illinois lawmakers voice concerns about the expected increased in power supply costs coming this summer and lament the ongoing closure of coal plants. (WGEM)

COMMENTARY:
• The American Lung Association joins a statewide corn growers group in applauding Iowa’s new law requiring most gasoline retailers to provide fuel with higher blends of ethanol. (The Messenger)
• An Indiana advanced energy advocate says CenterPoint Energy’s plan to build a $900 million natural gas peaker plant is a bad deal for customers. (Courier & Press)