Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups.
A mothballed nuclear power plant in Michigan just took a huge step toward being the first in the country to start back up after retiring. Federal regulators authorized owner Holtec International late last month to start loading fuel into the Palisades plant in Covert Township, a milestone that doesn’t guarantee its restart but signals support for the project moving forward. And while the Trump administration has canceled federal funding for many Biden-era energy projects, it has so far honored a $1.5 billion U.S. Department of Energy loan for Palisades.
Oak Park led the Midwest when it banned the use of natural gas in new construction starting last year. Buildings are the Chicago suburb’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and it began requiring electrification in pursuit of its climate goals. But now Oak Park is caught up in a legal battle with trade and real estate groups that say its natural gas ban is illegal, restrictive and harmful. It has until Sept. 24 to ask a judge to decide the case without a trial.
On July 25, New York became the first state to finalize an all-electric building standard. The restrictions on natural gas and other fossil fuels will take effect for many new buildings at the end of this year. Larger ones will have until 2029. The changes were mandated by New York’s 2023 All-Electric Buildings Act and came days after a federal district upheld the state’s ability to implement it.
The Trump administration pulled $4.9 billion in federal support last month for a power line intended to carry wind energy from Kansas to Indiana. Chicago-based Invenergy’s $11 billion, 800-mile Grain Belt Express has been criticized by Missouri Republicans who say the project threatens farmland and property rights. The Department of Energy said it had determined that “it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project” and canceled the loan commitment to “ensure more responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.” Invenergy released a statement indicating that it will seek private financing instead.
And back in Michigan, electric vehicles represent a small but growing subset of vehicles. The share of vehicles registered in the state that are electric or hybrid has climbed steadily from 1.3% in 2020 to about 3.9% so far this year, officials said last week. Though they’re highest in Michigan’s larger counties, EV registrations are climbing all over the state. Officials also said Michigan’s EV registration fee is roughly making up for lost revenue from fuel taxes.
More energy news, in case you missed it:
- Keeping a Michigan coal plant open past its planned retirement date, under an emergency order from the Trump administration, cost $29 million over five weeks.
- Ford Motor Co. is leaning into profitable but gas-guzzling trucks and large SUVs as the Trump administration loosens regulations on emissions and fuel economy.
- Chicago-based utility Exelon said it is considering building new power generation for the first time in years amid concern about future energy shortages.
- Minnesota regulators will investigate a complaint from the Upper Sioux Community about its electricity provider threatening to cut power if the tribe turns on a disputed solar array.
- Xcel Energy will now use cell phone alerts instead of outdoor sirens to warn people if there is an emergency at one of its Minnesota nuclear plants.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
Ohio regulators clamp down on data center power costs amid soaring demand
In Minnesota, community solar stays alive
Featured image: A powerplant with smokestacks belches smoke into the air. (Photo Credit: GLN)
