Will Trump force two Indiana coal plants to keep running?

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.

FOSSIL FUELS

• Northern Indiana Public Service Company and CenterPoint Energy had planned to close 772 MW and 90 MW coal-fired power plants in Indiana this month, but are bracing for likely orders from the Trump administration to keep them operating. (Canary Media)

• Nebraska state utility the Omaha Public Power District releases a health risk assessment indicating a coal-burning power plant is safe to continue running, but experts question those findings. (Omaha World-Herald)

DATA CENTERS

• Grid operator PJM Interconnection considers the results of its recent capacity auction as consumer advocates worry a surge in data centers could drive power prices up for customers in Ohio and beyond. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

• Michigan residents say they were blindsided after a township planning commission conditionally approved a 172-acre, six-building data center complex without adequately notifying the community. (WXYZ)

OVERSIGHT

• Indiana Gov. Mike Braun appoints three new members to the five-member state utility regulatory board. (E&E News)

• A federal appeals judge issues a split decision finding the U.S. EPA was wrong in its determination that Michigan met federal ozone standards in Detroit in 2023. (Detroit News)

• Indiana Republican state Sen. Andy Zay confirms he will resign to join the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. (WANE)

• Illinois regulators remind customers of a winter weather rule that limits utilities from disconnecting certain customers who use electric or gas for heating through March 1. (Chicago Crusader)

• Nebraska regulators approve higher natural gas rates for Black Hills Energy. (Norfolk Daily News)

GRID

• Three Minnesota power companies propose building a $900 million, 160-mile power line from Fargo to the central part of the state. (InForum)

TRANSITION

• A clean energy advocate in Iowa discusses how a shift away from coal to natural gas instead of wind and solar could keep energy prices high because the state’s gas prices are still the tenth highest in the U.S. (KMA)

SOLAR

• Doral Renewables secures a power purchase agreement from ​“a leading U.S. corporation” for a 270 MW solar farm in Kansas. (news release)

HYDROPOWER

• A Michigan landowner is moving to cut off access to the powerhouse of a troubled hydropower dam as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursues license termination, citing years of missed safety deadlines. (MLive)

AFFORDABILITY

• Minnesotans brace for higher-than-usual heating costs due to rising gas and electricity prices as winter sets in. (MPR News)

MINERALS

• An analysis finds North Dakota’s state-owned minerals will generate $8.4 billion in oil and gas royalties over the life of oil production in the state, with state officials expressing optimism despite low oil prices. (North Dakota Monitor)

CLIMATE

• Scientists find the insurance industry is raising premiums and some companies are even leaving Iowa altogether due to the rising cost of climate change. (KWQC)

COMMENTARY

• High power costs driven by reliance on an aging coal plant instead of affordable renewables drove a Missouri aluminum smelter out of business two years ago and threaten workers in factories and on farms now, writes an agricultural contractor. (Missouri Independent)

• Ohio should implement a more efficient energy permitting process to balance community concerns with energy needs and prevent the loss of an estimated 9,000 MW of energy projects per year due to developer withdrawals, writes a policy analyst. (Ohio Capital Journal)

• President Trump has dismissed rising costs and affordability as a ​“hoax,” a ​“scam,” and ​“a con job” despite the fact home electricity costs in Kansas have risen 30% since 2021, writes a Kansas Congress member. (Kansas City Star)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Why this Colorado coal town is digging geothermal — Alison F. Takemura

• Permitting talks are back, and clean energy is caught in the middle — Kathryn Krawczyk