Michigan primed to benefit from domestic clean energy manufacturing

CLEAN ENERGY:

• Michigan’s manufacturing history and highly trained workforce make it well positioned to benefit from a new shift to domestic production of electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. (Canary Media)
• The impact can already be seen in Flint, where a company that produces electric vehicle battery materials is poised to revive a long-shuttered auto manufacturing complex. (The Gander)

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ALSO: Despite ongoing critiques from Sen. JD Vance, the Inflation Reduction Act has benefited Ohio residents, including in his hometown of Middletown, with new clean energy investments. (New York Times)

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UTILITIES: Xcel Energy spent more on lobbying state lawmakers than any other organization in Minnesota last year, when lobbying spending ballooned 18% from 2022. (Minnesota Reformer)

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RENEWABLES: While wind and solar made up 64% of Iowa’s electricity generation last year, the state needs to speed up efforts to transition from coal to meet climate change targets, a statewide environmental group reports. (Radio Iowa)

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GRID:

• The Southwest Power Pool’s grid territory is among U.S. regions that will need significant investments in new generation to meet growing demand, according to a new Bank of America report. (Utility Dive)
• A recent audit casts doubt on the ability of Michigan’s two large investor-owned utilities to significantly improve reliability by 2029 under plans that also could cause major rate rikes for customers. (Crain’s Detroit, subscription)

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NUCLEAR: A resolution is near in a yearslong tax dispute over the value of a Michigan nuclear plant, which could result in a roughly $4.3 million cut in tax revenue for local schools and governments next year. (MLive)

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SOLAR: A southern Indiana farmer says a proposed 2,050-acre solar project around his land would look like an “industrial wasteland,” while others see an opportunity to generate revenue for their farm. (WHAS)

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BIOMASS: The University of Iowa is leaning heavily on various biomass crops for power generation as it continues plans to phase out coal by next year. (Daily Iowan)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A carbon capture demonstration project at a large North Dakota coal plant receives a $4.1 million grant as part of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support expected for the project. (Power Magazine)

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OIL & GAS: The Ohio Court of Appeals denies the state attorney general’s request to hear a case seeking to hold a gas pipeline company responsible for discharging millions of gallons of drilling liquids into wetlands. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)

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