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Who’s funding Ohio solar misinformation?

By Andy Balaskovitz

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SOLAR: An anonymously funded group is spreading misinformation about a proposed 120 MW Ohio solar project, including at a recent event featuring speakers with ties to fossil fuel and climate denial groups. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:

  • Nebraska landowners who agreed to lease land for a proposed 310 MW solar project a few years ago say they are surprised by the coordinated pushback by local opponents. (News-Times)
  • Alliant Energy finishes construction on a 99 MW solar project in central Wisconsin. (Solar Industry)
  • A southeastern Michigan township considers its options for commercial solar regulations following the passage of a new state law shifting permitting authority in some cases to state regulators. (Tri-County Times)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Residents in a majority-Latino neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side install air sensors to monitor pollution from non-stop truck activity and heavy industry as public officials fail to act. (WBEZ)

GRID: More than 2,000 GW of proposed wind, solar and battery storage is waiting to connect to the U.S. power grid as clean energy projects remain stuck behind a vast interconnection backlog. (Canary Media)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota officials say the state will be uniquely affected by federal regulations to cut methane emissions 80% from oil and gas production based on the amount of natural gas flaring in the Bakken. (Bismarck Tribune)

POWER PLANTS:

  • A federal agency issues a key approval for a 625 MW gas plant proposed in northern Wisconsin, though the project still faces opposition from local elected officials. (Pioneer Press)
  • Ohio regulators approve an 18-month construction start extension request from the developer of a 955 MW natural gas plant that was originally approved six years ago. (Farm and Dairy)

BUILDINGS: Starting Jan. 1, a Minneapolis suburb will require developers who receive public support for projects to follow sustainable building standards as part of the city’s climate action plan. (Eden Prairie Local News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Automakers are tapping into a growing consumer trend of pairing electric vehicles with home rooftop solar systems by connecting customers with other energy services. (Associated Press)

CLIMATE:

  • Extreme weather caused at least tens of millions of dollars worth of impacts to Iowa’s economy in 2023, a trend that’s expected to worsen as climate change makes events more frequent. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
  • Indiana University researchers say new agricultural crop management practices will be steps for the state to lower emissions and help the country reach net-zero emissions by 2050. (WTHI)

COMMENTARY: ​“The gravy train is at an end,” a Chicago editorial board writes in praise of Illinois regulators for rejecting a four-year, $1.5 billion rate increase for ComEd. (Chicago Tribune)

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