States, cities angle for $5B in federal climate funding

UTILITIES:

• Ohio utility regulators will resume investigations related to FirstEnergy and HB 6 and whether ratepayer funding was used for political spending. (Crain’s Cleveland Business, subscription)
• A forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling related to Illinois’ bribery statute could upend the convictions of four former ComEd executives, according to defense attorneys. (Center Square)

GRID:

• Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials prepare to ask voters whether to approve a Sustainable Energy Utility that would deploy microgrids connecting solar, geothermal and battery storage across the city. (Michigan Public)
• Just months after receiving a $368 million rate increase, DTE Energy appears poised to request another increase this spring for grid infrastructure investments. (Planet Detroit)
• Four electric grid operators call on federal regulators to improve natural gas networks and market rules to avoid energy emergencies recently seen in Texas and the Northeast. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• President Biden’s push for electric vehicle adoption divides unionized auto workers in Michigan, a crucial swing state where concerns remain about long-term job losses tied to the transition. (New York Times, Politico)
• Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian will lay off 10% of its salaried workers amid recent quarterly losses and growing market competition. (CNN)