Good morning! Today’s newsletter includes Michigan’s response to federal efforts to claw back EV charger funding, a major grant for electric buses in Chicago, and why repealing the Inflation Reduction Act would particularly harm red states.
TODAY'S TOP NEWS
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Michigan transportation officials are scrambling to determine how much of $110 million may still be available for electric vehicle chargers as the Trump administration attempts to nullify the federal program. (Bridge)
Michigan officials grant Ford an extension to meet investment and job creation targets for a $2.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in southern Michigan. (WOOD-TV)
A $58 million Illinois grant will fund 57 electric buses for the transit agencies serving the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs. (Chicago Sun-Times)
CLEAN ENERGY
Republican-led states have the most to lose as President Trump tries to halt Inflation Reduction Act spending, as about 80% of the $165.8 billion in various clean energy projects are in GOP congressional districts. (New York Times)
GRID
Minnesota lawmakers consider extending tax breaks for data centers, which includes exempting energy equipment and electricity from the state sales tax. (Star Tribune)
The Grain Belt Express transmission line developer has filed more than 40 eminent domain petitions against Missouri property owners to finalize a route for the $7 billion project. (Columbia Missourian)
An Ohio Congress member introduces legislation to give “dispatchable” generation sources priority in regional grid operators’ interconnection queue, a measure that has support from oil and gas groups. (Utility Dive)
TRANSPORTATION
O’Hare International Airport in 2023 was the single biggest source of Chicago’s carbon emissions, as transportation-sector emissions continue rising following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Chicago Tribune)
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest budget proposal includes $7.8 million for a study on using road use fees to replace a traditional gas tax model and generate new revenue as cars become more efficient and electrified. (WOOD-TV)
OIL & GAS
Ohio activists once again call on Gov. Mike DeWine to pause nominations, bids and leases for hydraulic fracturing beneath state lands. (Statehouse News Bureau)
North Dakota Senate lawmakers block a bill that would have removed 10-year property tax exemptions for carbon pipeline developers. (North Dakota Monitor)
UTILITIES
Xcel Energy officials say the utility will rely mostly on wind and solar for new generation projects amid growing demand, despite the Trump administration’s early efforts to pull federal clean energy funding. (Utility Dive)
WIND
North Dakota ranks ninth for the amount of power generated from wind energy, which doubled in capacity from 2015 and 2023. (KXNET)
BIOFUELS
An Iowa community college expands a biofuels testing lab to include sustainable aviation fuel under a $2 million federal grant. (Radio Iowa)
COMMENTARY
The conviction of a former FirstEnergy executive and the Ohio Republican Party chairperson recognizes the bribery used to pass House Bill 6, despite an appeals court signaling that it may have been politics as usual, an editorial board writes. (Toledo Blade)
On stage: Conversations with clean energy experts, including Rep. Sean Casten of the U.S. Congress, Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green, Kara Demirjian Huss of TCCI Manufacturing, A.J. Patton of 548 Enterprises, David Roberts of Volts, Angela Tovar of the city of Chicago and more to be announced!
Off stage: Drink, eat, and socialize with clean energy leaders, investors, inventors, public leaders, and advocates.
🗓️March 27, 2025, 2:00 - 7:00p.m. CDT
📍 mHUB • 1623 West Fulton Street Chicago, IL 60612
