Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Jury convicts all four defendants in ComEd bribery trial — and fires a warning shot at Michael Madigan — Chicago-Sun Times
A jury finds all four defendants guilty of bribery conspiracy in a case involving former ComEd executives accused of arranging jobs, contracts and money for allies of former democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation.
What ‘ComEd Four’ trial guilty verdicts mean for Mike Madigan bribery, racketeering trial — WLS
Guilty verdicts in the “ComEd Four” trial this week set the stage for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s own bribery and racketeering case next year.
Illinois lawmakers pass bill to require new homes be equipped to handle EV charging stations — Chicago Tribune
Illinois lawmakers pass a bill that would require newly built single-family and small multi-family homes to be equipped to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Illinois’ power struggle: Environmental advocates split on legislation to lift nuclear ban — Daily Herald
A bill to lift Illinois’ 30-year moratorium on new nuclear energy construction divides environmental groups.
Champaign County should invest in wind energy, researchers suggest — Daily Illini
University of Illinois researchers say the social stigma around wind turbines has been the primary factor in blocking wind development in a central Illinois county.
Indiana
South Bend Ethanol acquired; $230M expansion planned — Inside Indiana Business
The new owner of an Indiana ethanol plant plans to invest $230 million over the next three years to expand capacity and start producing renewable natural gas.
Nearly a dozen groups ask Holcomb to veto legislation on state coal ash rules — Indiana Public Broadcasting
Indiana environmental groups call on Gov. Eric Holcomb to veto a bill that would prevent the state from adopting coal ash regulations that are stricter than federal rules.
Indiana Lawmakers pass more than three dozen environmental bills in 2023 — Indiana Environmental Reporter
Indiana lawmakers end their 2023 legislative session after passing several utility-friendly bills that could pass more costs onto consumers and slow renewable energy development.
Greenhouse gas emissions from utilities, industry trend down — WFYI
Greenhouse gas emissions from Indiana industrial facilities declined 27% over the past decade, primarily from coal plants closing, according to new EPA data.
Michigan
Palmyra Township voters support zoning amendment restricting most utility-scale solar — Daily Telegram
Township residents in Michigan vote to approve restrictions on utility-scale solar projects that would essentially prohibit developments.
‘Nasty battle’: States fight states for EV, battery plants — E&E News
Michigan’s effort to secure major electric vehicle and battery manufacturing plants is part of a broader and intense competition among states to gain a foothold in the emerging industry.
Michigan lands $400 million hydrogen fuel ‘gigafactory,’ Whitmer announces — MLive
A Norwegian company will build a $400 million plant at an as-yet undisclosed location in Michigan to manufacture equipment that produces hydrogen fuel.
Frustrated by Outdated Grids, Consumers Are Lobbying for Control of Their Electricity — Inside Climate News
Ann Arbor is among a handful of U.S. cities where residents are seeking to create locally owned utilities to make their grid more resilient to climate change and speed the clean energy transition.
Rapid buses use renewable natural gas from Grand Rapids’ biodigester — WOOD-TV8
Grand Rapids begins powering its transit agency’s fleet of buses with renewable natural gas produced from a nearby biodigester facility.
‘Insulting’: Environmental agenda stalls in state House as industry-funded Dems move mining bills — Planet Detroit
Michigan advocates express frustration that Democratic lawmakers, with newfound control of the legislature, have not advanced bills targeted at environmental justice or making companies pay for pollution.
As the anniversary of Enbridge’s refusal to shut down Line 5 approaches, groups press Biden admin — Michigan Advance
Michigan environmental groups call on the Biden administration to shut down the Line 5 pipeline, two years after pipeline owner Enbridge started defying a state order to do so.
Rep. Debbie Dingell approves $230K for climate initiatives in Ann Arbor — WDIV
Nearly $230,000 in federal funding will pay for 10 AmeriCorps members to help deploy climate initiatives in Ann Arbor.
Minnesota
Hennepin County’s trash incinerator loses renewable energy designation, but deadline for closure remains evasive — Sahan Journal
After a Minneapolis trash incinerator lost its renewable energy designation under a recent state law, environmental justice advocates are calling for a speedier closure of the facility.
Without eminent domain, Summit pipeline route in Minnesota looks different — Echo Press
A carbon pipeline developer must secure property easements in Minnesota, which doesn’t allow the use of eminent domain for such projects, resulting in a more jagged route through the state.
State suing southeastern Minnesota gas station that leaked 10,000 gallons of fuel — Forum News Service
A Minnesota agency sues the owner of a gas station that leaked 10,000 gallons of gasoline over several months last year.
Duluth Receives Grant to Design Geothermal Heating District in Lincoln Park Neighborhood — FOX 21
Duluth, Minnesota, receives a $700,000 federal grant to design a geothermal heating district that could help to decarbonize hundreds of buildings.
Wadena County prosecutor drops final charge against Winona LaDuke in ‘Shell River Seven’ pipeline case — Grand Forks Herald
A Minnesota county prosecutor dropped the last remaining misdemeanor charge against Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke for her role in a Line 3 pipeline protest in 2021.
Ohio
Residents near Lordstown Energy Center ask to delay rezoning vote — WKBN
Residents living near an Ohio natural gas plant want local officials to delay a company’s plans for a second plant, citing nuisance concerns with the current facility.
Ban OK’d on large solar, wind facilities in more Columbiana County townships — Salem News
More than half of the townships in an Ohio county have now banned commercial wind and solar development.
Wisconsin
UW Partnership Converts Manure to Jet Fuel in Fighting Climate Change — WXPR
A company’s partnership with the University of Wisconsin will create Wisconsin’s first commercial facility that converts manure into fuel for trucks and jets.
When it comes to energy independence on Wisconsin’s tribal reservations, ‘actions are more than words.’ How one tribe is taking action — Press-Gazette
The Menominee Nation in Wisconsin trains dozens of volunteers on how to install and operate solar panels as the tribe pursues sovereignty through clean energy projects.
Line co-owners: Wisconsin judge upholds Cardinal-Hickory approval — Telegraph Herald
A Wisconsin judge upholds a ruling by state regulators to approve a controversial transmission line connecting Iowa and Wisconsin.
UW-Superior plans to go solar — Superior Telegram
A University of Wisconsin campus will build a solar project on a former soccer field that’s expected to save the school about $42,000 annually.
Bad River tribe and allies call for emergency Line 5 shutdown — Wisconsin Examiner
The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa asks a federal judge for an emergency order to shut down the Line 5 pipeline, which crosses the tribe’s land in Wisconsin.
National
U.N. panel on Indigenous issues asks Canada and U.S. to shut down Line 5 pipeline — Michigan Advance
An Indigenous-led United Nations panel recommends that Canada and the United States shut down the Line 5 pipeline.
DOE proposes framework for national transmission corridors to spur new lines, ease grid congestion — Utility Dive
The U.S. Department of Energy proposes a national framework for locating transmission projects in areas where they are needed most.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
Energy News Roundup: Line 5 negotiations in Michigan, funding for clean energy in Illinois
Energy News Roundup: Power outages in Michigan, future of nuclear power in Illinois
