TRANSMISSION: The 224-mile Great Northern Transmission Line begins operation, bringing hydropower from Manitoba to Minnesota and boosting Minnesota Power’s renewable energy portfolio to 50%. (Star Tribune)
PIPELINES: The Michigan Court of Appeals rules in favor of Enbridge, saying a 2018 law allowing for a Great Lakes tunnel for the Line 5 pipeline is constitutional. (Bridge Magazine)
***SPONSORED LINK: Renew Missouri is hosting a Continuing Legal Education tackling utility ratemaking and energy policy in Kansas. Participate virtually or in person in Lenexa, Kansas on June 12. Click here to register or for more information.***
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Chicago’s new chief sustainability officer says she will focus on air pollution and how climate change affects low-income African American and Latino communities. (Chicago Sun-Times)
CLEAN ENERGY: The clean energy industry is providing economic opportunities but the benefits aren’t distributed fairly across race and income levels. (InsideClimate News)
COAL:
• Murray Energy’s prospects of exiting bankruptcy appear more likely as a creditor and rival coal company is no longer asking for a court to liquidate the firm. (E&E News, subscription)
• Northwestern Indiana officials want NIPSCO to be as safe and transparent as possible as it removes 170,000 tons of coal ash from basins at its Michigan City plant. (Michigan City News-Dispatch)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Iowa City will use a $3 million federal grant to purchase electric buses and supporting charging equipment. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
WIND: Invenergy cancels plans for a 250 MW wind project in southwestern Missouri after concerns were raised about its potential impact on birds and its proximity to a regional airport. (Cassville Democrat)
SOLAR:
• An Iowa resident describes the switch to solar power as “energy efficient and economical.” (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
• A Nebraska financial services company launches a new business division focused on management and support services for solar developers. (Lincoln Journal-Star)
• A northern Ohio career training center installs a five-acre solar project as an “opportunity for kids to interact with the field.” (WTVG)
***SPONSORED LINK: Center Out: A Strategy for Climate Success will be hosted by the Great Plains Institute on June 25. Join the conversation about how the Midwest can lead the clean energy transformation. Click here for more and to RSVP.***
OIL & GAS: A barge carrying more than 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel runs aground in the St. Marys River between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Canada. (MLive)
UTILITIES:
• The Illinois Commerce Commission will consider a COVID-19 relief plan from consumer advocates that extends shut off protections and provides other assistance. (Alton Daily News)
• Wisconsin regulators allow a ban on disconnections to continue to July 25. (WMTV)
• DTE Energy receives mixed reactions to its cost-saving effort to automatically enroll customers in paperless billing. (Detroit Free Press)