States look to incentivize new power plants to meet demand boom

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

UTILITIES

• States in the Midwest and across the country are devising new incentives and legislation to encourage construction on new power plants as demand is forecasted to grow from AI and data centers. (Associated Press)

• Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been in contact with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about the potential for surcharges on electricity sales into the state if President Trump follows through with proposed tariffs on the country. (WCCO)

CARBON CAPTURE

• The Sierra Club says a new South Dakota law prohibiting the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines should also prevent the Summit Pipeline project from moving forward in Iowa, as the state has required that the project obtain permits in the Dakotas before moving forward in Iowa. (KCHA)

• A South Dakota lawmaker suggests the multi-state project could be rerouted through Minnesota, though it’s unclear whether the developer would consider that. (Associated Press)

SOLAR

• A 5 MW solar project on a former brownfield site in Dayton, Ohio, will supply more than one-third of the power for the city’s water treatment plant. (WKEF)

• An Ohio solar installer is cautiously optimistic that work will remain steady despite the Trump administration’s potential rollback of tax credits for the industry and local opposition to projects. (Spectrum News)

COAL

• Michigan utility Consumers Energy says it will not delay the planned closure of a coal plant along Lake Michigan by the end of May, despite a local county resolution raising reliability concerns about the move. (FOX 17)

RENEWABLES

• A Wisconsin city with a population of about 35,000 people becomes the first city in the state to power its municipal operations entirely with renewable energy. (WMTV)

NUCLEAR

• A nuclear trade group says the industry appears to be on solid footing with the Trump administration compared to renewable energy, given the broad bipartisan support for nuclear power. (MLive)

OIL & GAS

• Dozens of activists at the Ohio statehouse protest in opposition of state regulators permitting oil and gas drilling beneath state parks and wildlife areas. (Tribune News Service)

BIOFUELS

• An Iowa biofuels plant that produced 35 million gallons of biodiesel last year pauses operations amid what the operator calls unfavorable and uncertain federal policies. (Telegraph Herald)

EFFICIENCY

• Ameren Illinois files an energy efficiency plan with state regulators that calls for investing $145 million a year on electric and gas programs, including incentives for residential customers to make home upgrades. (Southern Illinoisan)

COMMENTARY

• We Energies’ plan to build new gas-fired power plants in Wisconsin will lock in high electricity costs and undermine the state’s clean energy goals, an environmental advocate writes. (Urban Milwaukee)