Michigan wrestles with local control

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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• Northern Michigan residents are split in their feelings about a law that limits local governments’ powers to restrict large-scale renewable energy development and instead gives the state more control over projects. (Grist/​Interlochen Public Radio)

WIND

• The attorneys general of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are among a coalition of officials looking to join renewable energy developers suing the U.S. Defense Department over its freeze of routine reviews for onshore wind projects. (news release)

UTILITIES

• Michigan voters may have a chance to vote on utility political spending standards in this fall’s election after the state elections bureau recommends certifying the ballot measure. (Crain’s Detroit)

BATTERIES

• Spearmint Energy secures a critical state permit for its 150 MW battery storage project in Minnesota’s Freeborn County. (Renewables Now)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The federal government announces a lease sale that could open up to 2,800 acres of Ohio’s only national forest up to oil and gas drilling. (Signal Ohio)

• Toxic, radioactive fracking waste may be leeching out of rock formations in Ohio’s Washington County and putting nearby water supplies at risk, the state Department of Natural Resources finds. (Cleveland.com)

DATA CENTERS

• A new law in Nebraska will require data center operators to reveal more details about their water and power use. (Grist)

• Residents in Gary, Indiana, and across the state fear surging data center construction could raise their already-high bills from utility NIPSCO. (Capital B)

GRID

• The results of grid operator PJM’s latest capacity auction, which fell short of its reliability target, sound ​“alarm bells” for the region, says Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair Laura Swett. (Utility Dive)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Clean energy still beats fossil fuels on cost, despite, well, everything — Kathryn Krawczyk

• An old-school geothermal giant rides the tech’s newfound popularity — Maria Gallucci

• Massachusetts bill would end a costly gas pipeline repair program — Sarah Shemkus