Wisconsin regulators approve $620 million solar plan

SOLAR: Wisconsin regulators approve Alliant Energy’s plan to buy or build more than 400 MW of solar power for about $620 million. (Wisconsin State Journal)

ALSO:
• A cold spring delays construction by a year on what would be Missouri’s largest solar project, now expected to be operational by March 2025. (KTVO)
• An Ohio community college plans $6.6 million in clean energy upgrades that includes a 1.7 MW onsite solar installation. (Fremont News Messenger)

UTILITIES:
• WEC Energy Group seeks a nearly 10% rate increase to pay off prior coal investments and help finance renewable projects that officials say will save Wisconsin ratepayers in the long term. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• Michigan regulators approve a new five-year contract for Consumers Energy to purchase hydroelectric power from a dam that’s being sued by the state for releasing excessive amounts of sediment into a river. (MLive)

PIPELINES: The North Dakota Supreme Court rules that thousands of documents related to construction security on the Dakota Access pipeline are public records. (Bismarck Tribune)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Illinois and Michigan are among 16 states suing to halt the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to purchase thousands of gasoline-powered trucks instead of electric models. (Associated Press)
• U.S. electric vehicle sales spiked by 76% in the first quarter while overall sales of new cars and trucks were down nearly 16%. (Inside Climate News)
• Michigan officials award $577,000 in grants to expand charging infrastructure and increase access to electric vehicles. (WNEM)

CARBON CAPTURE:
• The developer of a proposed carbon capture pipeline through multiple Midwest states joins an electric cooperative’s efforts to build a $1 billion carbon storage facility in North Dakota. (Des Moines Register)
• South Dakota regulators approve an ​“unprecedented” number of applications from parties seeking to intervene in a carbon capture pipeline case. (KELO)

WIND: A proposed central Michigan wind project would represent a total investment of $776 million over the life of the project and be the county’s largest taxpayer, according to an economic impact study. (Greenville Daily News)

GRID: Grid operator PJM’s new planning process for adding power plants puts on hold hundreds of solar projects across its 13-state territory. (Inside Climate News)

NUCLEAR: Proposed Michigan legislation would commission a study on the potential to add more nuclear power to the state’s generation mix. (WJRT)

HYDROGEN: Proponents say carbon capture would be a component of hydrogen manufacturing in Ohio, though critics say the process emits large amounts of greenhouse gasses and would be a ​“boondoggle” for the state. (Ohio Capital Journal)

CLEAN ENERGY: U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will visit Michigan next week to promote clean energy manufacturing projects. (Detroit News)

BIOFUELS: Governors from Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota ask the Biden administration to approve year-round sales of gasoline with higher blends of ethanol. (Reuters)

COAL: A northeastern Ohio coal plant built in 1953 and shut down in 2013 is demolished. (Mahoning Matters)