Ohio’s coal plant subsidies are gone

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

COAL

• Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signs a bill that ends subsidies for two unprofitable coal plants that were included in a broader power plant bailout law at the center of a major bribery scandal. (Ideastream)

PIPELINES

• Critics say a provision in a federal spending bill would open the door for federal regulators to nullify state and local oversight of pipelines carrying gas, carbon dioxide, and other energy products. (States Newsroom)

• Greenpeace asks a North Dakota judge to slash the nearly $667 million in damages the nonprofit was ordered to pay the Dakota Access pipeline developer for its alleged role in protests against the project. (North Dakota Monitor)

GRID

• Speculative interconnection requests for large data centers that may never get built are creating fundamental challenges for utilities, grid operators, and regulators, and experts say officials should keep demand expectations in check. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES

• Nebraska Public Power District earlier this year bought land for a future energy project at around five times the property’s assessed value and from two utility executives, raising ethics concerns among some observers. (Flatwater Free Press)

SOLAR

• Three Ohio mayors pursuing local solar projects speak out in favor of federal clean energy tax credits for local governments and tax-exempt organizations that could be scaled back or repealed in the GOP-led Congress. (Solar Builder)

• A western Illinois county grants a special permit for a utility-scale solar project, though local officials say their hands were tied by a state law limiting local control over renewable energy projects. (KHQA)

• An Illinois county southwest of Chicago rejects plans for a pair of 5 MW solar projects that local officials say would generate less tax revenue than residential development and residents claim would harm their property values. (Chicago Tribune)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Wisconsin labor advocates say federal tax credits are creating an ​“unprecedented boom” in clean energy work for the trades under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Wisconsin Examiner)

OIL & GAS

• BP’s request for a new water pollution control permit for its Northwest Indiana oil refinery would discharge unhealthy levels of mercury and other toxins, environmental groups say. (Post Tribune)

NUCLEAR

• Anti-nuclear groups want a more stringent review of plans to reopen a Michigan nuclear plant after federal regulators found that the project would have no significant harm to the environment. (Michigan Advance)

• The Wisconsin Senate passes a bill that would require the state to study opportunities for more nuclear energy development. (NBC 26)

GEOTHERMAL

• School districts across the U.S. worry they’ll lose access to federal tax credits that have helped reduce upfront costs for geothermal heating and cooling projects that shrink energy bills. (Washington Post)