Here’s some of the news that has caught our eye this week
❄️ Polar vortex stretched: A stretched polar vortex will bring dangerous subzero temperatures, heavy snow and ice to 230 million Americans starting Friday, with the storm stretching from New Mexico to New England. Meteorologists warn the frigid weather could stick around through January into early February, with some comparing the potential damage to a major hurricane. 📌 Source: PBS News
💼 Rate hike costs: Michigan utility customers unknowingly pay millions for their own companies’ legal teams to argue for higher rates before regulators. Attorney General Dana Nessel is seeking to block $7 million of DTE’s $574 million rate hike request, arguing customers shouldn’t pay all these skyrocketing costs. 📌 Source: mlive
💧 Water rates rising: The Great Lakes Water Authority proposes a 6.83% water rate increase and 5.98% sewer rate hike for fiscal year 2027, affecting 112 communities across eight southeast Michigan counties. The authority cites increased infrastructure needs and decreased investment earnings as drivers for the higher prices. 📌 Source: The Detroit News
🚧 Main break floods: An eight-inch water main break in Melvindale flooded South Dearborn Street and trapped vehicles overnight Thursday during freezing temperatures. Eight homes were affected, with crews keeping water pressure low to prevent pipe freezing while advising residents not to use the water until repairs were completed Friday afternoon. 📌 Source: CBS News
❄️ Cold snap chaos: Over 115 Sterling Heights homes lost water service due to multiple overnight water main breaks caused by extreme cold temperatures. Detroit reported 51 broken water mains as of Tuesday, with crews working to repair nine breaks while monitoring sites overnight as temperatures continue dropping. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press
🌊 Great Lakes graded: The 2025 State of the Great Lakes report gives mixed scores to the five lakes, with drinking water and beaches rated as good and unchanging. However, invasive species continue causing substantial ecological harm despite improved prevention efforts, with their cumulative impact more than doubling since 1950. 📌 Source: Journal Sentinel
⚡ Emergency costs disputed: Illinois regulators are asking federal authorities to pause cost recovery for power plants kept online under DOE emergency orders, citing concerns about routine use of emergency authority. Consumers Energy spent $164 million running the Campbell plant in Michigan while incurring an $80 million loss under the federal orders. 📌 Source: Utility Dive
⚡ Battery project planned: Consumers Energy proposes a $70 million, 45-megawatt battery storage system on the site of the former Weadock coal-fired power plant in Hampton Township. The project would occupy 5 acres of the 74-acre site and include 36 lithium iron phosphate batteries to enhance grid reliability for 30 years. 📌 Source: mlive
💡 Data centers canceled: At least 25 data center projects were canceled nationwide in 2025 due to local community opposition, quadrupling from six cancellations in 2024. The canceled projects would have accounted for 4.7 gigawatts of electricity demand, with residents citing water shortages and electricity bills jumping 267% in areas near data centers. 📌 Source: Gizmodo
🏭 Oil spill expanded: A crude oil and brine spill in the Pigeon River Country State Forest totaled 221 barrels, more than four times the initial estimate of 50 barrels. The April spill in Cheboygan County’s Forest Township affected multiple acres of wetlands, with about half an acre still impacted despite ongoing cleanup efforts. 📌 Source: mlive
⚖️ Egg law challenged: The Trump administration sued Michigan over its cage-free egg production law that took effect January 1, claiming it contributes to high egg prices and imposes unnecessary regulations. The federal lawsuit seeks to invalidate Michigan’s requirements for hens to roam unrestricted on farms with 3,000 or more birds. 📌 Source: CBS News
⚖️ Pig farm prevails: Harvey Haney won his nine-year legal battle to keep his Bay County pig farm after a judge dismissed Fraser Township’s lawsuit in December. The case hinged on a state law protecting farmers from local zoning rules, with Haney’s attorney calling it an important precedent for hundreds of family farms. 📌 Source: mlive
🌳 Wildlife detective work: The Detroit Outdoor Adventure Center is hosting free “wildlife crime scene” investigation activities on January 31 for students 12 and older. Participants will role-play as DNR conservation officers, documenting evidence and writing police reports in two-hour sessions designed to introduce careers in conservation enforcement. 📌 Source: mlive