Small solar installers to bear the brunt of GOP tax law

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.

SOLAR

• A new GOP law that will soon end key tax credits for rooftop solar is expected to particularly harm local installers that could see business dry up as going solar becomes more expensive for homeowners. (Canary Media)

• County officials outside Chicago approve plans for two commercial solar projects and reject two other proposals as each project faced local pushback over aesthetic, farmland preservation, and safety concerns. (Chicago Tribune)

NUCLEAR

• At least $15 billion in public and private funding is now flowing into the small modular reactor development space as interest ramps up globally in advanced nuclear power technology. (Canary Media)

GRID

• Experts say the latest PJM capacity price results coming out Tuesday will likely be similar to last year’s, continuing a trend of rising prices as demand grows and clean energy projects stall. (Inside Climate News)

• Ohio county officials advance plans for a microgrid that would provide onsite power for an industrial corridor just outside Cleveland. (Microgrid Knowledge)

CLIMATE

• State and local Ohio officials have yet to join climate change litigation that aims to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate change impacts, despite recent studies show how local governments could be on the hook for billions in climate-related damage costs. (Clevend.com)

• Chicago activists call on Gov. JB Pritzker to sign legislation to make the fossil fuel industry responsible for paying for climate resilience infrastructure. (Chicago Tribune)

PIPELINES

• Michigan opens public comments on a set of permits related to Enbridge’s plan to build an underground tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac to house Line 5. (Michigan Advance)

CARBON CAPTURE

• North Dakota researchers are examining whether they can pair geothermal power with active oil and gas drilling sites and use captured carbon as a feedstock for geothermal power production. (E&E News)

• Indiana’s large number of industrial facilities combined with multiple reservoirs and caprocks makes the state particularly suitable for carbon capture and storage, according to a recent research report. (Pipeline and Gas Journal)

COAL

• Two Chicago-area cities consider a 20-year contract extension with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, which has drawn some concern over its reliance on a large coal plant for power supply. (Daily Herald)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration plans to lean heavily on domestic fossil fuels like natural gas to meet rising electricity demand from AI, President Trump said at a rally last week in Pittsburgh. (Wired)

RENEWABLES

• Conservation and renewable energy trade groups raise concerns about a new Interior Department memo requiring federal approval for all aspects of wind and solar projects. (E&E News)

• Central Nebraska county officials are still working on new wind and solar siting regulations after nearly three years under a project moratorium. (North Platte Telegraph)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Will the AI boom be powered by big, slow energy projects? — Julian Spector