Report: FirstEnergy spent millions courting Trump for bailout

OHIO: In 2017, FirstEnergy gave millions to dark money groups aligned with then-President Donald Trump, and CEO Chuck Jones spent lavishly at Trump-owned properties, as the company lobbied for a federal bailout that FERC ultimately rejected, according to a new report. (Ohio Capital Journal)

ALSO: An investigative journalist says a recent Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ruling to uphold subsidies related to the state’s coal bailout shows regulatory staff coordinating with utilities to work in the companies’ favor. (Checks and Balances Project)

COAL: Ohio’s largest coal plant is likely to be retired or converted to a different fuel by 2031 after being sold to a private equity firm, according to sources familiar with the deal. (Inside Climate News)

MATERIALS: A Minnesota company opens a pilot facility to develop what it says are first-of-their-kind permanent magnets – useful in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other products – that do not rely on rare earth elements. (MPR News)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: A majority of Minneapolis city council members back a resolution to close a waste-to-energy incinerator that is a significant source of pollution in a densely populated area of the city. (Sahan Journal)

HYDROPOWER: A Minnesota county recently doubled the capacity of a dam it owns and operates to 4.4 MW with help from a $26 million federal grant. (Dakota Tribune)