Ohio advocates see disparities in FirstEnergy’s grid

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GRID

• Ohio consumer and environmental groups want state regulators to address disparities in FirstEnergy’s power grid, where disadvantaged and underinvested communities are more likely to have outdated and outage-prone equipment. (Canary Media)

• The Midwest’s regional grid operator says investing in transmission to move renewable energy generated in the Great Plains to population centers to the east will benefit ratepayers and provide more reliability. (Michigan Public)

PIPELINES

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will speed up its permitting review of an underground tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac, a project critics say threatens the Great Lakes. (Interlochen Public Radio)

• The Army Corps will hold public hearings next month in Wisconsin on Enbridge’s plan to reroute a portion of Line 5 that has generated concerns from the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. (WDIO)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Nearly $8 billion in renewable energy investments were canceled in the first three months of 2025 because of escalating market uncertainty, according to a new report from a clean energy advocacy group. (Solar Builder)

• Minnesota’s renewable energy generation held flat in 2024 at one-third of the state’s energy mix, while the state’s coal mix continued to decline. (Twin Cities Business)

• Advocates say federal policy uncertainty puts the growth of Minnesota’s clean energy industry at risk. (Minnesota Reformer)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Recent orders from President Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun attempting to revive fossil fuels put Indiana residents’ health at risk from excess air and water pollution, advocates say. (Indianapolis Star)

NUCLEAR

• Ohio leaders want the Department of Energy to invest in a uranium enrichment plant, saying it advances U.S. energy dominance and is in the country’s national security interests. (Columbus Dispatch)

• The University of Missouri announces new partnerships to develop a 20 MW research nuclear reactor. (FOX 4)

SOLAR

• A solar developer pursues plans for a 7 MW solar project in southeastern South Dakota as Xcel Energy makes nearby grid infrastructure upgrades. (Sioux Falls Live)

• Wisconsin regulators approve utilities’ plan to offtake the power from a 300 MW solar project with 165 MW of battery storage capacity. (Daily Energy Insider)

• Some nearby residents raise land use and aesthetics concerns with a developer’s plan for a 75 MW solar project in southeastern Wisconsin. (Pierce County Journal)

UTILITIES

• Michigan regulators allow DTE Energy to continue a practice requiring some customers to pay monthly bills in cash, which critics say preys on low-income ratepayers. (MLive)

COMMENTARY

• High school seniors in Duluth, Minnesota, who formed a climate club years ago and spurred their district to install a solar project encourage others to join the climate advocacy movement. (Minnesota Reformer)