BUILDINGS: A 147-unit Habitat for Humanity project in St. Paul, Minnesota, expected to be one of the largest net-zero developments in the Midwest, is being built without natural gas hookups. (Energy News Network)
ALSO: General Motors is recognized by the Department of Energy for cutting natural gas use 30% at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant. (news release)
UTILITIES:
- Democratic lawmakers in Ohio criticize the state’s recent $20 million settlement with FirstEnergy over the HB6 corruption scandal as a “paltry sum,” noting the company has so far faced minimal accountability. (State House News Service)
- Consumer advocates criticize DTE Energy’s policy of requiring 12 months of cash payments from customers if a check is returned for insufficient funds, saying it creates an unreasonable barrier for people struggling to keep up with bills. (MLive, subscription)
GRID: Ohio lawmakers discuss how to meet the state’s energy needs in the wake of the HB6 scandal, with Republicans Bill Seitz and Dick Stein defending coal plant subsidies while Democrat Casey Weinstein says “difficult and bureaucratic” siting rules are the main problem. (NBC4)
CLEAN ENERGY:
- A Republican Ohio mayor pushes back on his party’s efforts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, noting his city’s recent 18 MW solar project wasn’t economically feasible without the law’s incentives. (Semafor)
- General Motors announces a 15-year purchase agreement for solar power to offset energy use at plants in Michigan and Missouri. (Detroit News)
OIL & GAS: The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa urge Wisconsin officials to reject a plan to reroute an oil pipeline around their reservation, saying they would still be at risk from spills. (Associated Press)
CARBON CAPTURE:
- Iowa advocates say they will likely sue to overturn a pipeline permit for Summit Carbon Solutions after the deadline passes for regulators to act on their appeal. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
- U.S. Rep. Marinannette Miller, a Republican who represents southeastern Iowa, says she supports carbon capture pipelines as a way to help the ethanol industry stay competitive. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
TRANSPORTATION: Chicago’s transit agencies warn of a “fiscal cliff” that could force them to slash operations if the state doesn’t increase funding as federal pandemic grants expire in 2026. (Chicago Sun-Times)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
- St. Paul, Minnesota, unveils its first electric fire truck, which is equipped with an emergency diesel generator capable of recharging the truck’s batteries in the event of an unusually long deployment. (Pioneer Press)
- A new Michigan law increases the weight limit for electric trucks, matching an existing allowance for trucks fueled with compressed natural gas. (Land Line)
COMMENTARY: An advocate says one way to accelerate the buildout of transmission lines is to improve incentives for rural communities, such as adding broadband internet in the process. (Utility Dive)
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