Solar’s small farmland footprint

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

• Fear of losing prime farmland has become a rallying cry for opponents of rural solar projects in Ohio and elsewhere, even though the industry still occupies a small sliver of farmland compared to even golf courses and suburban sprawl, according to a new solar industry report. (Canary Media)

• Solar helps a southwestern Minnesota farmer get into agricultural production by allowing sheep to graze on sites with solar panels. (Ag Week)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Energy companies looking to build up to 10 gas-fired power plants in Ohio to only serve new data centers would cause a spike in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, an environmental group’s new report finds. (Cleveland.com)

• Invenergy will redirect funding from canceled wind leases that were bought out by the Trump administration to Wisconsin gas plants that will help meet rising demand from hyperscale data centers. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

HYDROELECTRIC

• Consumers Energy proposes to set aside the potential $270 million in profits from the sale of 13 aging hydroelectric dams into a fund to recover potential maintenance needs, a concession as the utility seeks regulatory approval for the deal. (Bridge)

DATA CENTERS

• Detroit City Council members say they’ll prioritize drafting data center zoning regulations to get ahead of potential projects. (Bridge Detroit)

MINING

• The company behind a long-planned uranium mining project in South Dakota plans to restart a state permitting process after a 13-year delay. (South Dakota Searchlight)

CARBON CAPTURE

• Environmental advocates warn a growing number of proposed carbon capture projects in Ohio will incentivize companies to pursue more gas plant construction, creating a net gain in emissions. (WCHS)

COAL ASH

• Illinois’ Democratic attorney general joins attorneys general from several other states in urging the Supreme Court to reject the Trump administration’s proposed rollbacks of coal ash laws. (WSIU)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• EV charging stations are being disproportionately built in Michigan’s most affluent counties, which contributes to energy inequality as charging installations are also typically followed by other infrastructure upgrades, according to Michigan researchers. (Michigan Public)

NUCLEAR

• A federal judge dismisses an attempt by opponents to stop the restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in southwestern Michigan, just as owner Holtec announces the facility has entered the final stage before it can reopen. (WDIV, World Nuclear News)