Utility shutoffs worsened pandemic toll as utilities collected relief

UTILITIES: Utility disconnections during the height of the pandemic by Exelon, DTE Energy, and others likely increased COVID-19-related deaths and disproportionately harmed communities of color, according to a recent report. (Energy News Network)

PIPELINES: All 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan send a letter to the Biden administration seeking support to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. (Michigan Advance)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Consumers Energy says it wants to become a ​“one-stop shop” for customers seeking at-home electric vehicle chargers, including installations, rebates, and enrollment in rate programs. (Detroit News)
• Michigan is set to receive $110 million for electric vehicle charging under the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress on Friday. (Bridge Michigan)

SOLAR:
• Alliant Energy is partnering with Iowa State University to build a nearly 1 MW solar project on university-owned land. (The Gazette)
• Disagreement within a local commission effectively kills plans for a 1.2 MW solar project at a Wisconsin airport. (News Republic)
• State regulators will hold a public hearing next month on a planned 350-acre solar project in northwestern Ohio. (Crescent-News)
• Michigan State University Extension releases a new online guide to help communities with solar zoning best practices. (Monroe News)

TRANSMISSION:
• Multiple, ongoing legal disputes threaten to delay or cancel a 101-mile clean energy transmission project between Iowa and Wisconsin. (E&E News)
• FirstEnergy will sell a 19.9% percent stake in its transmission businesses for $2.4 billion. (Bloomberg)

CLIMATE: Officials in Omaha, Nebraska, will draft a climate change plan for the city’s metro area as lawmakers reject calls for a statewide plan. (Omaha World-Herald)

WIND: A central Missouri county adopts new wind energy siting regulations that expand setback distances from property lines and amount to what one advocate calls a ​“de facto wind ban.” (Missouri Times)

OIL & GAS:
• North Dakota lawmakers consider a plan to use $150 million in federal stimulus relief to build another pipeline to transport natural gas across the state. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Spire Missouri officials say about 400,000 homes could be impacted by natural gas shortages if a pipeline from Illinois to St. Louis is forced to close next month. (St. Louis Public Radio)

RENEWABLES: Experts in Nebraska forecast the need for more renewable energy to power data centers as more come online. (KETV)

STORAGE: An Indianapolis-based investment group plans to acquire a California energy storage startup and take the company public next year. (Indianapolis Business Journal)

COMMENTARY: The president of the Wisconsin Technology Council says researchers and manufacturers in the state will help lead the state’s climate change strategy. (Wisconsin State Journal)