Good morning! While the years-long bribery scandal involving a major utility and bailouts for unprofitable power plants was well known in the state of Ohio, the saga remained largely unknown outside the state. A new HBO documentary may change that. Released last week, “The Dark Money Game: Ohio Confidential,” takes viewers behind the scenes of how it all unfolded. Our Canary Media reporter who followed the case for years calls it an accessible analysis that covered new ground on how the scandal extended into other political disputes.
Finally: Thank you to everyone who contributed during our recent fundraising drive! Your support helps a lot and makes it possible for us to keep doing this work. If you meant to donate, it's not too late: We welcome donations at any time.
TODAY'S TOP NEWS
OHIO
The House Bill 6 scandal is the subject of a new HBO documentary that offers “compelling storytelling” and could bring wider attention to the massive bribery scheme, says Canary Media’s Kathiann M. Kowalski, who has covered the saga for more than a decade. (Canary Media)
PIPELINES
A federal judge orders the U.S. government to pay North Dakota $28 million for the Army Corps of Engineers’ role in the Dakota Access pipeline protests and failing to prevent millions of dollars in damages. (North Dakota Monitor)
UTILITIES
Michigan lawmakers reintroduce legislation to ban political contributions from the state’s two major utilities and other large companies, a proposal that failed to gain traction under Democrats last year. (Bridge)
SOLAR
Chicago leaders say fixed prices to offtake power from a large Illinois solar project will help control costs as electricity charges to power various municipal operations have grown even as consumption decreases. (ABC 7)
Mastercard acquires 40 acres at its Missouri tech hub to build a solar project that will help power the electricity-intensive facility. (Utility Dive)
Critics of a Minnesota Senate bill to sunset the state’s community solar program call it a “betrayal of Minnesota’s climate promises.” (Minnesota Reformer)
NUCLEAR
Wisconsin lawmakers take testimony on a pair of nuclear energy bills that supporters say would position the state to attract investments in advanced nuclear technologies. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
WIND
An Iowa farmer sues a wind turbine manufacturer for allegedly knowing about faulty equipment that later caught fire multiple times and caused damage to his farmland. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
GRID
North Dakota regulators approve a $360 million, 162-mile transmission project that’s expected to be completed in late 2026. (KFGO)
EFFICIENCY
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announces a new home energy rebate program that could allow qualifying households to get up to $34,000 for various energy efficiency upgrades. (Michigan Advance)
COAL
Indiana lawmakers send a bill to Gov. Mike Braun that would require utilities that want to retire a coal plant to replace it with the same amount of capacity, which critics say would put clean energy options at a disadvantage. (Indiana Public Media)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Foxconn will reportedly invest $26 million into its electric vehicle subsidiary at the company’s Lordstown plant in Ohio. (WFMJ)
NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA
Solar developer Silicon Ranch secures a $500 million investment despite political headwinds challenging the industry, Julian Spector reports.
Startup Electra brings in $186 million from investors to test whether electrowinning — a process for removing impurities from metals — can purify iron without coal-fired furnaces, Jeff St. John reports.
Canary Media is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. Donate to support us.
