ELECTRIC VEHICLES: 

• St. Paul, Minnesota, will likely have to cover the full costs of a new $1.8 million electric fire truck after failing to secure federal funding to pay for the vehicle. (Minnesota Reformer)
• Local officials approve tax incentives for a large electric vehicle battery plant Ford is developing in southern Michigan. (WOOD-TV)
• Improving electric vehicle efficiency could reduce stress on the electric grid, cut charging costs and decrease vehicle prices by nearly $5,000, according to a national energy efficiency group. (Utility Dive)
• Illinois’ high rate of electric vehicle adoption over the past three years could showcase Gov. JB Pritzker as a leader who can bridge the political and cultural divide over EVs. (E&E News, subscription) 

ALSO:

• A central Ohio solar panel manufacturer has hit two milestones in its first six months of operation: producing 1 million solar panels and hiring 1,000 employees. (Newark Advocate)
• NIPSCO brings online a 200 MW solar and 45 MW energy storage project in northwestern Indiana. (PV-Tech)

CLEAN ENERGY: 

• The Inflation Reduction Act is having a transformative effect on U.S. manufacturing growth, particularly in the clean energy sector, though some investors are concerned that the outcome of the presidential election could weaken the 2-year-old law. (CNBC)
• A new state report shows Wisconsin is making progress on its clean energy goals, which call for creating 40,000 clean energy-related jobs by 2030 and having 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. (WisPolitics)

CLIMATE: 

• Climate activists say vice presidential nominee Tim Walz has a complicated climate change record while serving as Minnesota’s governor, by both signing progressive clean energy legislation but also allowing a pipeline expansion. (Salon)
• Organizers of this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago will rely on carbon offsets with local donations, as well as composting and recycling, to reduce the event’s climate footprint. (Grist)

COMMENTARY: 

• The Ohio chapter of the Sierra Club calls on the U.S. EPA to reject state regulators’ plan that they say does too little to reduce air pollution from a coal plant along the Ohio River. (Columbus Dispatch)
• The Inflation Reduction Act has spurred new clean energy and manufacturing jobs in Minnesota and has helped Illinois residents to claim $260 million in tax credits for home improvements, the head of the Sierra Club writes. (Sun-Times)

SOLAR: 

• Solar power’s potential to help BIPOC farmers hold on to their land was among the key themes at a recent Illinois panel exploring agrivoltaics. (Energy News Network)
• The clean energy transition is generating enthusiasm and skepticism as a utility moves forward with plans to replace a central Minnesota coal plant with a large solar and storage project. (New York Times)
• Ohio regulators start hearings today on a proposed 800-acre solar project northeast of Columbus. (Knox Pages)
• An eastern Michigan township considers potential restrictions on utility-scale solar projects as a developer pursues leases from landowners. (WJRT)

PIPELINES: 

• The CEO of the firm developing a multi-state carbon pipeline through the Midwest concedes that landowner opposition remains a major hurdle to the project getting built. (Bloomberg)
• All eyes are now on the Dakotas, where regulators are determining whether to allow the Summit carbon pipeline. (KCUR)
• A federal appeals court rejects Enbridge’s effort to keep a case challenging Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac in federal court, sending the case to state court where advocates say they have better chances of shuttering the pipeline. (Michigan Public)

WIND: 

• A global wind turbine manufacturer says it will restart production and hire upwards of 100 workers at a plant in eastern Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• Residents in southwestern Wisconsin organize against a pair of proposed 300 MW wind projects that were contingent on the approval of a recently approved transmission line. (Telegraph Herald)

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)

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)

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)

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)

CLEAN ENERGY: 

• Wisconsin is one of only two states that has started offering Inflation Reduction Act home rebates to residents, offering $74.8 million for heat pumps, electrification and energy efficiency projects. (Canary Media)
• Energy Secretary and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm visits a union event in Michigan, highlighting job growth from Inflation Reduction Act investments; meanwhile a new report shows the state has the largest number of announced projects funded by the law. (CBS Detroit, Renewable Energy World)
• Wisconsin voters this week rejected a ballot measure that would have restricted the governor’s ability to disburse federal funds, which could have impacted IRA-related spending in the state. (Associated Press, Inside Climate News)
• The University of Milwaukee will lead an effort to develop clean energy training centers at nine Midwest community colleges, with support from a $5.7 million Department of Energy grant. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

SOLAR: 

• City officials in Rockford, Illinois, file a legal objection to a proposed 32-acre solar project on nearby farmland, saying the city plans to eventually annex the land for residential development. (Rockford Register Star)
• Sedgwick County, Kansas, which includes the city of Wichita, approves new rules that include prohibiting solar farms  in “urban growth areas,” effectively killing a 103 MW project proposed in 2019. (Wichita Eagle)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: 

• Iowa’s attorney general leads a group of eight states supporting an Ohio lawsuit to block California’s clean car standards. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
• State and federal data show electric vehicle ownership in Michigan is concentrated primarily in wealthy urban and suburban counties, with public charging infrastructure rare in rural parts of the state. (Bridge Michigan)