CLIMATE:
• More than a dozen Minnesota cities have, or are expected to pass, resolutions declaring climate change an emergency in an effort to spur quicker climate action from state lawmakers. (Energy News Network)
• Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota says he supports efforts to reduce emissions to address climate change, but “we can’t destroy ourselves in the process of trying to save the Earth.” (NPR)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A western Michigan-based company repairs, repurposes and recycles electric vehicle batteries with a focus on wealth building in BIPOC communities. (Centered)
• In her state of the state address Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a $2,500 rebate for purchasing an electric vehicle, which could be stacked on top of an existing $7,500 federal rebate. (MLive)
• The Biden administration cancels two federal leases held by a company to mine for copper, nickel and other metals — key ingredients in electric vehicle manufacturing — near the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. (MPR News)
OHIO: Federal prosecutors indicate that the public corruption trial of former House Speaker Larry Householder, the lawmaker at the center of the House Bill 6 scandal, will take about six weeks and could occur sometime this fall. (Ohio Capital Journal)
WIND: MidAmerican Energy proposes a 400 MW wind project spread across two counties in western Iowa. (KMTV)
COAL: An Illinois lawmaker proposes legislation that would increase the number of training hubs for former coal workers to make the option more accessible. (WSIL)
OIL & GAS:
• Several Republican-led states in the Midwest passed laws in 2021 prohibiting local governments from adopting measures that restrict natural gas connections. (S&P Global)
• Meanwhile, a new study shows that gas stoves in the U.S. emit far more methane than previously thought and contain concentrations of nitrogen oxides that can exceed federal safety standards. (InsideClimate News)
DEVELOPMENT: Two companies unveil plans for a massive, energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining and data center in North Dakota that would have a power load of 700 MW. (Inforum)
TRANSMISSION: Federal energy regulators say updating transmission planning, cost allocation and generation interconnection requirements is a top priority to facilitate the clean energy transition. (Utility Dive)
BIOFUELS:
• Proposed legislation in Missouri would create a tax credit for retailers selling at least 15 percent ethanol blends in an effort to boost in-state biofuel production. (News Tribune)
• Minnesota agriculture groups say there is a “lot of misunderstanding” as environmental groups question the role of biofuels as state officials craft a clean fuel standard. (Ag Week)
COMMENTARY: Michigan needs policies that allow energy-intensive businesses to purchase renewable energy directly from wind or solar projects, rather than from utilities, and through contracts that more accurately reflect their power needs, business advocates write. (Bridge Michigan)