Ohio mulls clean energy for brownfields

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

• A new Ohio law prioritizes former coal mines and brownfield sites for energy investments, though state rulemaking could determine how much the sites will support wind and solar. (Canary Media)

• The Department of Energy begins sending termination notices to $7.5 billion of clean energy projects that officials say don’t align with the Trump administration’s priorities. (E&E News)

• Indiana’s five major utilities are backsliding on their clean energy commitments as advocates criticize their plans to keep coal plants open and build gas plants to meet data center demand. (Indianapolis Star)

• Minnesota added nearly 1,700 clean energy jobs last year, a 2.6% increase from the previous year, though a slowdown may be ahead with the Trump administration’s attacks on the industry. (MPR News)

UTILITIES

• Private equity giant BlackRock is reportedly nearing a $38 billion deal to acquire AES Indiana, drawing concerns from consumer advocates over rate increases. (Indianapolis Star)

• Xcel Energy’s proposed rate increase in North Dakota meant to in part cover the cost of transitioning from coal would cost North Dakota State University about $1 million a year, officials say. (North Dakota Monitor)

GRID

• Eleven governors in PJM’s territory band together to call for more state input over grid operations with an ultimate goal of lowering electricity prices. (Grist)

SOLAR

• Proposed utility-scale solar projects in Wisconsin face growing opposition from local officials who say they are excluded from the approval process. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

• A Michigan township prepares to craft zoning regulations in response to a proposed 200 MW solar project, which the developer says would need to be workable to avoid applying directly to the state for approval. (FOX 17)

DATA CENTERS

• Plans for an up to $18 billion data center campus in an Illinois village north of Chicago draw concerns over electricity and water usage as local officials welcome the development. (Chicago Tribune)

OIL & GAS

• State oil and gas oversight agencies may soon feel the effects of the federal government shutdown as staffers are often funded by EPA grants. (E&E News)

COAL

• A western Michigan municipal utility completes the cleanup of a coal pile at a former coal plant near Lake Michigan that closed five years ago. (MLive)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Inside the Colorado factory where AtmosZero is electrifying steam — Alison F. Takemura

• Canceled solar megaproject reveals new Trump-era threat to renewables — Julian Spector

• Can farmland thrive with solar? This Virginia nonprofit is finding out. — Elizabeth Ouzts

• Boston is piloting window heat pumps in affordable housing — Alison F. Takemura