Ohio advocates seek to ​‘Trump-proof’ recent clean energy gains

CLEAN ENERGY: Ohio advocates work to leverage federal clean energy funding as soon as possible, fearing a potential second Trump administration could scale back the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR:

• Wisconsin environmental regulators recommend that a developer scale back plans for a $2 billion, 1,300 MW solar project to protect the state’s greater prairie-chicken population. (WPR)
• A developer hopes to start construction next year in Iowa on a 220 MW solar project that would include 180 MW of battery storage. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

GRID:

• Wisconsin ratepayer advocates raise concerns about We Energies’ request for $196 million over the next two years to pay for tree-trimming, burying power lines and new technologies to address grid reliability. (WPR)
• Michigan utility Consumers Energy spends around $100 million a year on forestry measures to improve grid reliability. (WZZM)
• CenterPoint Energy’s requested rate increase in Indiana to pay for grid reliability investments would disproportionately raise costs for residential customers and favors large industrial customers, ratepayer advocates say. (IPR)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The longstanding ​“cold war” between the oil and gas industry and ethanol interests is over as the two sides aim to stop regulations that promote electric vehicle sales, an industry group leader says. (Radio Iowa)

COAL: Ratepayers in grid operator MISO’s territory paid $1.1 billion more for electricity than they should have over the past three years as utilities ran coal plants to meet demand instead of cheaper, cleaner alternatives, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report. (E&E News, subscription) 

CLIMATE:

• Local governments in the Kansas City region miss out on nearly $200 million in federal grant funding requested to ramp up local climate programs. (Flatland)
• The University of Minnesota expands its climate action plan to focus on resiliency measures such as emergency preparedness, maximizing energy use and protecting vulnerable populations. (Minnesota Daily)

PIPELINES: South Dakota voters in November will decide the fate of a state law that critics say is too favorable to pipeline developers, which also could determine whether a proposed carbon pipeline moves forward. (Inforum, subscription)

COMMENTARY: Dispatching uneconomic coal plants not only pushes out cheaper renewable energy, but also sends a market signal to reduce investments in future renewable energy projects, a Natural Resources Defense Council analyst says. (NRDC)