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Ohio picks up tab for lawmaker’s fracking waste leak

By Dan Haugen

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OIL & GAS: Injection wells owned by an Ohio state senator leaked fracking waste deep underground before releasing at the surface, prompting a $1.3 million cleanup paid for by the state in 2021. (Cleveland.com)

ALSO: The federal Bureau of Land Management will extend a public comment period on a draft environmental assessment evaluating potential impacts of oil and gas drilling in a national forest in Ohio. (Farm and Dairy)

SOLAR:

  • Wisconsin receives $62 million in federal funding to install multifamily and community solar projects, but it’s unclear how those projects could be built without conflicting with state law. (Capital Times)
  • A western Michigan-based solar installation company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as complaints mount from customers trying to obtain refunds. (WOOD-TV8)
  • A Kansas solar company must pay $220,000 in fines and refunds for engaging in ​“unconscionable and deceptive acts and practices” with customers. (KSNW)
  • Local officials raise concerns that a proposed 376-acre solar project in southeastern Ohio could remove productive farmland. (Independent Press)

AIR POLLUTION: Indoor nitrogen dioxide pollution from gas and propane stoves has caused an estimated 50,000 current U.S. cases of childhood asthma, according to a new report from Harvard and Stanford researchers. (WBUR)

GRID:

UTILITIES: Minnesota Power agrees to significantly reduce an electric rate increase request that the company says would still help to meet clean energy and reliability goals. (Star Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION: Congressional Democrats are set to introduce a 10-year, $500 billion spending package to improve transportation infrastructure and help reduce emissions. (Inside Climate News)

CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. Department of Energy announces $500 million for projects that demonstrate efficiency in transporting carbon from emitting sources to storage sites. (E&E News, subscription)

COMMENTARY:

  • Bipartisan support is growing in Michigan to rein in a state fund that so far has provided $1.7 billion in incentives for electric vehicle and battery projects, a columnist writes. (Michigan Advance)
  • The head of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce says the state should double down on investing in natural gas production and infrastructure. (Beacon Journal)
  • Investing in renewable energy will promote energy independence and job growth in Iowa, says the head of the Iowa Utility Association. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

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