PIPELINES:
• U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and three congressional allies at an event Friday called on President Biden to stop construction on the nearly completed Line 3 pipeline. (Star Tribune)
• Minnesota police have taken vastly different approaches to Line 3 protests, as community policing led to negotiations at one site while 69 protesters were arrested at another site. (Star Tribune)
NUCLEAR: Exelon sets a Monday deadline for closing two Illinois nuclear plants unless state lawmakers pass legislation that includes a financial bailout. (E&E News, subscription)
EMISSIONS: Indiana is among 10 states that account for more than half of U.S. carbon emissions from the energy sector. (Indianapolis Star)
SOLAR:
• Minnesota utility Otter Tail Power Co. plans to add 150 MW of solar power in 2025 as part of its long-term integrated resource plan. (Renewables Now)
• State regulators will hold a public hearing this fall on a proposed 175 MW solar project near Dayton, Ohio. (Dayton Daily News)
• A developer selects a company to equip five Indiana solar projects totaling more than 1,000 MW with smart solar tracking technology. (PV Magazine)
WIND:
• A developer responds to landowner concerns about a planned 200 MW wind project in Iowa, noting that the project has been delayed by about two years. (Globe Gazette)
• State regulators approve plans for a 109 MW wind project in southwestern Minnesota. (KELO)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• Midwest advocates are “bullish on the future” of clean energy jobs despite a widespread drop in employment during the pandemic. (Finance & Commerce)
• A Wisconsin resident uses a variety of energy-efficient building materials and onsite solar for her sustainable home. (WXOW)
GRID: Ameren Missouri seeks a 12% electric rate increase to help pay for grid infrastructure that would improve reliability. (The Missourian)
OIL & GAS: A ruptured natural gas line caused the evacuation of a construction site in Madison, Wisconsin late last week. (Wisconsin State Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• A national clean electricity standard would help stave off the worst effects of climate change while creating jobs and boosting independence from fossil fuels, a Minnesota editorial board writes. (Star Tribune)
• Two Michigan GOP congressmen “did the right thing” by joining Democrats in support of reining in methane emissions, though much more climate work is needed, an op-ed says. (Michigan Advance)
• The head of an Ohio business group says proposed federal “punitive” measures against the oil and gas industry would cost jobs and cause energy prices to rise. (Mahoning Matters)