Solar developers get proactive in Ohio

Correction: Starke County, Indiana, officials last week denied a claim by residents that documentation for a proposed solar project is missing. An earlier version of this digest incorrectly identified the county.

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SOLAR: Two developers pursuing solar projects in Ohio are proactively meeting with communities early in the development process in an effort to boost their chances with state regulators. (Energy News Network)

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ALSO:

• Indiana county officials reject residents’ claims that certain documentation involving a proposed utility-scale solar project is missing, and note that their concerns have already been addressed. (WSBT)
• A bill to enable community solar is among the legislation awaiting Michigan lawmakers when they return from a break later this summer. (Michigan Advance)

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EMISSIONS:

• A proposal in Minneapolis’ 2025 proposed budget calls for a tax on businesses’ carbon emissions that would fund more city programs to reduce emissions. (Minnesota Daily)
• Several Michigan landfills emit methane beyond what is self-reported to federal regulators, according to a new report from an environmental group calling for better technology to capture emissions. (WDIV)

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COAL: Northern Wisconsin coal plants are being replaced by natural gas and renewable energy as utilities prepare to comply with federal regulations. (WXPR)

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GRID:

• South Dakota officials claim Minnesota’s long-term clean energy targets jeopardize the state’s grid reliability by forcing early coal plant closures. (South Dakota News Watch)
• Supporters say an underwater transmission line across Lake Michigan could connect Michigan with clean energy produced in the Upper Midwest. (MLive)

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CLIMATE:

• Stevens Point, Wisconsin, becomes the latest city in the state pledging to make city operations carbon neutral by 2050. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• Iowa homeowners’ insurance rates have soared and thousands of residents have lost coverage as companies pull out of the state or opt to not renew policies as extreme weather becomes more frequent. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

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WIND:

• A developer files plans for a 68-turbine, $261 million wind project in northeastern South Dakota. (South Dakota Searchlight)
• Iowa’s second-most populous county postpones consideration of new utility-scale wind regulations involving noise, setbacks and debris cleanup. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

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HYDROELECTRIC: Hundreds of dams across the Upper Midwest are at growing risk of failure as they age and face more pressure from extreme weather. (Inside Climate News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Professional racing league NASCAR, while still heavily reliant on internal combustion vehicles, releases a prototype all-electric race car at an event in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)

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COMMENTARY: A Wisconsin clean energy advocate says the state’s solar energy boom will provide an economic jolt to rural communities. (Door County Pulse)

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