Save big charging time at Menards

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.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• EV charging companies see advantages and site complexities in installing stations at big-box stores, including Menards, a staple home improvement brand for Midwesterners. (Canary Media)

BATTERIES

• DTE Energy signs a $1.6 billion procurement deal for grid storage batteries produced by LG Energy Solution in West Michigan to support the grid as demand from data centers grows. (MLive)

GRID

• MISO pushes back on utilities’ claims that competitive bidding for transmission projects can add 16 to 20 months to construction, saying that’s not been the grid operator’s experience. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES

• Legal experts say the dispute between Energy Transfer and Greenpeace has become especially notable as it spans two countries and now stretches on for an unprecedented decade. (New York Times)

COAL

• The U.S. EPA’s proposed changes to weaken coal ash cleanup requirements would be particularly harmful in Indiana, which generates about 5 million tons of coal ash annually, advocates say during a public hearing. (Chicago Tribune)

UTILITIES

• Organizers say they’ve submitted more than enough petition signatures for a Michigan ballot initiative asking voters to ban utilities from making campaign contributions. (Michigan Advance)

• A new book explores how utilities used their influence to shape state-level renewable portfolio standards roughly two decades ago to ensure the laws were favorable for corporate profits. (Inside Climate News)

DATA CENTERS

• Ohio lawmakers open hearings for a new data center committee, mostly with support from the industry and legislators who are confident companies will pay their way for infrastructure costs. (Ohio Capital Journal)

• A growing number of Nebraska communities pursue indefinite bans on data centers as public worries grow over impacts to the environment and infrastructure. (Flatwater Free Press)

NUCLEAR

• Four communities that Nebraska Public Power District has identified to potentially host nuclear plants appear receptive to the idea, following years of opposition to renewable energy projects. (Flatwater Free Press)

EMISSIONS

• The U.S. EPA is revisiting plans to eliminate Ohio’s air nuisance rule that, among other provisions, makes it easier for citizens to sue industrial polluters in federal court. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Western Michigan township officials will vote soon on a one-year moratorium blocking commercial solar and projects, battery energy storage, and data centers to learn zoning best practices. (MLive)

SOLAR

• A recently introduced Michigan bill would require various cybersecurity measures for solar projects, including prevention measures and reporting requirements to authorities in the event of an incident. (Huron Daily Tribune)

NEW FROM CANARY

• The tax credit cliff has hit EV sales hard — Dan McCarthy

• New York state gives up on its most ambitious climate targets — Ysabelle Kempe

• As geothermal networks grow, so does the call for a new utility model — Sarah Shemkus