Richland County referendum fails

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CLEAN ENERGY

• Voters in Richland County, Ohio, reject a referendum that would’ve struck down a ban on wind and solar development in 11 of the county’s 18 townships, though its narrow margin of failure suggests many Republicans voted to overturn the restriction. (Signal Ohio)

WIND

• The Department of Defense is stalling approvals for about 165 onshore wind projects on private lands, according to the American Clean Power Association, including those awaiting final sign-off, others in the middle of negotiations, and some that would not typically require oversight by the agency. (Financial Times)

• North Dakota regulators set a public hearing for a wind farm and transmission line project in Morton and Mercer counties. (North Dakota Monitor)

CLIMATE

• The DOJ sues Minnesota over the state’s lawsuit that seeks to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages, saying it intrudes on federal authority, though courts have so far rejected similar challenges to other states’ climate accountability suits. (Minnesota Star Tribune, E&E News)

• Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signs legislation to block greenhouse gas emitters from lawsuits seeking to hold them accountable for climate damages. (E&E News)

NUCLEAR

• The planned restart of Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant, combined with the development of new smaller reactors, signals a revival of nuclear construction in the U.S. (Canary Media)

• The CEO of Madison, Wisconsin-based nuclear fusion startup Realta Fusion says the city’s university talent and position as a home base for other fusion startups would make it an excellent candidate for a research and development facility. (Cap Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Bemidji, Minnesota, accepts a Climate Action Planning grant from the state, which it will use to plan and build an EV charging network and boost EV access for residents. (Bemidji Pioneer)

SOLAR

• Pivot Energy wins approval for a 1.25-MW community solar project in Jackson County, Illinois. (WSIU)

GRID

• Rochester, Minnesota, area homeowners attend a hearing to discuss how a transmission line will affect their properties and learn why the new lines are needed. (Post Bulletin)

MINING

• As the federal government opens up mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, tribal and environmental groups raise concerns about a copper and nickel mining project outside of Duluth. (MinnPost)

UTILITIES

• The electric utility serving Cherokee County, Kansas, requests a $15.8 million rate increase, which would raise the average residential bill by 40%. (Kansas Reflector)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) says she supports a federal gasoline tax holiday as residents in her state face some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation. (Bridge Michigan)

COMMENTARY

• An Illinois farmer says solar grazing — renting his sheep to clear vegetation at solar arrays — has provided much-needed income to keep his family farm afloat. (Illinois Farmer Today)