Minnesota project offers affordable housing without natural gas

UTILITIES:

• Democratic lawmakers in Ohio criticize the state’s recent $20 million settlement with FirstEnergy over the HB6 corruption scandal as a ​“paltry sum,” noting the company has so far faced minimal accountability. (State House News Service)
• Consumer advocates criticize DTE Energy’s policy of requiring 12 months of cash payments from customers if a check is returned for insufficient funds, saying it creates an unreasonable barrier for people struggling to keep up with bills. (MLive, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• A Republican Ohio mayor pushes back on his party’s efforts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, noting his city’s recent 18 MW solar project wasn’t economically feasible without the law’s incentives. (Semafor)
• General Motors announces a 15-year purchase agreement for solar power to offset energy use at plants in Michigan and Missouri. (Detroit News)

CARBON CAPTURE:

• Iowa advocates say they will likely sue to overturn a pipeline permit for Summit Carbon Solutions after the deadline passes for regulators to act on their appeal. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• U.S. Rep. Marinannette Miller, a Republican who represents southeastern Iowa, says she supports carbon capture pipelines as a way to help the ethanol industry stay competitive. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• St. Paul, Minnesota, unveils its first electric fire truck, which is equipped with an emergency diesel generator capable of recharging the truck’s batteries in the event of an unusually long deployment. (Pioneer Press)
• A new Michigan law increases the weight limit for electric trucks, matching an existing allowance for trucks fueled with compressed natural gas. (Land Line)