Unprofitable coal plants keep burning

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.

COAL

• Two unprofitable and aging coal plants along the Ohio River no longer receive direct ratepayer subsidies as of last week, but are still bound by a contract through a utility consortium that will keep them open for 15 years. (E&E News)

• Federal regulators issue an order that will allow Consumers Energy to spread the costs of keeping a Michigan coal plant open under a Trump administration order across 11 states in MISO’s footprint. (MLive)

GRID

• Attorneys general in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota say an April executive order from the Trump administration that’s expected to justify keeping fossil fuel plants online is based on a flawed analysis and should be revised. (Canary Media)

PIPELINES

• A pipeline protester convicted of a felony in Minnesota is entitled to a new trial after the state’s court of appeals ruled that the prosecutor engaged in ​“pervasive” misconduct that included telling the jury to weigh facts not in evidence. (Minnesota Reformer)

• Two Iowa counties want the U.S. Supreme Court to review previous rulings that sided with a carbon pipeline developer and found that their restrictive ordinances are preempted by state law. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

CLIMATE

• Cleveland, Ohio’s ability to meet its long-term climate goals depends on reducing emissions from a large steel mill that accounted for about 30% of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, an environmental nonprofit finds. (Signal Cleveland)

UTILITIES

• A private equity firm’s proposed acquisition of Minnesota’s second-largest utility has drawn opposition from consumer advocates, and comes as utility ratemaking practices are facing scrutiny amid rising electricity prices. (Heatmap)

• An Indiana consumer advocacy group finds that the statewide increase for most utility customers jumped 17.5%, or nearly $30 a month, over the past year. (CBS4)

• Faith-based and local leaders meet with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun to pressure him to take action to reduce utility bills. (WTHR)

• An Ohio county is forced to allocate $400,000 more to its electric services fund as rising electricity prices create budget pressures. (Cleveland.com)

SOLAR

• The USDA announces that it will no longer provide financing for wind or solar projects that take farmland out of production, but clarifies that small projects that have helped farmers install clean energy projects to reduce costs are safe. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A clean energy career training center in north Minneapolis includes a focus on HVAC courses that leaders say will be a key component to the clean energy transition. (Sahan Journal)

DATA CENTERS

• A developer plans to break ground next month on a $3 billion data center in North Dakota as utilities plan for an influx in power demand. (KELO)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Indiana electric vehicle advocates expect a dip in EV sales from first-time buyers once federal tax credits soon sunset, though experienced buyers are racing to take advantage of the incentives. (Indiana Public Media)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• The Constitution gas pipeline won’t solve New England’s energy problems — Sarah Shemkus

• NYC just launched its first hybrid-electric ferry — Maria Gallucci

• ‘Come to America and lose $1B’: Trump drives new offshore wind losses — Clare Fieseler

• Cruising Virginia countryside in an electric vehicle is a lot easier now — Elizabeth Ouzts

• Colorado now requires health warning labels on gas stoves — Alison F. Takemura