Missouri lawmakers seek to stymie Grain Belt Express transmission line

GRID: A top Missouri senator predicts state lawmakers will pass a bill that could jeopardize the Grain Belt Express transmission project by limiting developers’ use of eminent domain, a move critics call unconstitutional. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

TRANSITION: Local officials near Cleveland present potential redevelopment plans for a Lake Erie property following the upcoming demolition of a coal plant. (Cleveland.com)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• An Indiana lawmaker says the state is at a ​“fork in the road” as it competes for major electric vehicle manufacturing projects while trying to retain legacy auto jobs. (Indianapolis Star)
• Analysts say Ford’s electric F-150 truck could play a crucial role in driving electric vehicle adoption by targeting more rural consumers. (Illinois Newsroom)
• Indiana transportation officials partner with Purdue University to develop concrete pavement that can wirelessly charge electric vehicles while in use. (Inside Indiana Business)
• Indiana officials issue a request for information from interested parties on ways to deploy $100 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Indianapolis Business Journal)

OIL & GAS: Workers are evacuated after a chemical release at a North Dakota oil refinery, though officials say there is no public risk from the incident. (Bismarck Tribune)

PIPELINES: An Iowa senator says state legislation to delay the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines would do ​“absolutely nothing” to stall projects since the land acquisition process for proposed projects is so far off. (Radio Iowa)

BIOGAS: Michigan regulators have hired a consulting firm with longtime financial ties to the state’s two largest utilities to assess whether the state should scale up production of renewable natural gas. (Planet Detroit/​Outlier Media)

CYBERSECURITY: An Indiana University cybersecurity expert says retaliation to U.S. sanctions on Russia could expose the state’s utilities to cyber attacks. (WFYI)

SOLAR: Evanston, Illinois will receive $500,000 in federal funding to launch a program that installs solar panels on low-income properties. (Daily Northwestern)

BIOFUELS: Attorneys general in Iowa and Kansas urge the Biden administration to lift the summertime ban on gasoline with higher ethanol blends in an effort to lower fuel prices. (Des Moines Register)

NUCLEAR: A southeastern Michigan nuclear plant will be shut down for an undisclosed period of time for regularly scheduled refueling and to replace a rotor. (Detroit News)

COMMENTARY: A nuclear engineer says Ohio can be a leader in manufacturing advanced nuclear reactors that can drive economic activity while also reducing emissions to address climate change. (Columbus Dispatch)