ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The dispute over recently canceled permits for a proposed northern Minnesota mine shows how difficult it could be to build up a domestic supply of minerals needed for electric vehicles. (MPR News)
• A Missouri lawmaker proposes a bill that would require counties to cover the costs of equipping businesses with electric vehicle charging infrastructure in communities that require it on new facilities or renovations. (News Tribune)
PIPELINES: Wisconsin regulators heard more than 10 hours of testimony this week in support of and against Enbridge’s plan to reroute a portion of Line 5 around tribal land in northern Wisconsin. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
HYDROELECTRIC:
• To account for drought conditions, the power output from six dams along the Missouri River fell below average in 2021, which could ultimately shift costs onto ratepayers. (Associated Press)
• Michigan lawmakers propose legislation that would give state regulators more power to enforce environmental cleanups in response to a hydropower dam operator’s stalled sediment cleanup. (WMUK)
SOLAR: Local officials will hold public hearings next week on a pair of proposed solar projects in eastern Iowa totaling 250 MW of capacity. (Clinton Herald)
CLIMATE: Michigan officials will delay the final draft of a statewide climate plan by a month based on an “overwhelming” amount of public feedback so far. (RTO Insider, subscription)
CLEAN ENERGY: Grid operator PJM files a plan with federal regulators to create a framework for distributed energy resources like rooftop solar and battery storage to participate in the open market starting in 2026. (Utility Dive)
HOUSING: Climate-friendly affordable housing projects are becoming increasingly common in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but it’s unclear whether the concept can gain local support in more communities. (Bridge Michigan)
GRID: Michigan’s largest municipal utility has increased its tree trimming since a powerful ice storm eight years ago, and utility officials say it is improving electric reliability. (City Pulse)
COMMENTARY:
• Kansas legislation that would make it much more difficult to develop, and for local governments to regulate, wind projects poses economic risks for the state, a University of Kansas researcher writes. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
• Indiana lawmakers refuse to consider bills that would take meaningful action on climate change while moving legislation that offer “false climate solutions,” a Sierra Club official writes. (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
• Michigan’s draft climate plan needs more action items to reduce emissions from buildings and homes, clean energy advocates say. (Natural Resources Defense Council)