CLIMATE: Minneapolis leaders seek to raise fees on electric and gas bills to generate $8 million to $10 million a year to pay for home weatherization projects, solar installations and other climate change measures. (Star Tribune)
BATTERIES:
• Evergy plans to ask for a rate increase in Kansas next year to help pay for the infrastructure needed to support a massive Panasonic battery manufacturing plant and its anticipated electricity needs. (Kansas City Star)
• Environmental groups raise concerns about a developer’s plan for exploratory drilling of lithium, a key mineral in batteries, about 2 miles from Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. (South Dakota Searchlight)
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CLEAN ENERGY: Michigan’s largest municipal utility plans to spend $750 million over the next 10 years to build hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage. (Lansing State Journal)
GRID:
• A Wisconsin utility assures customers that it has adequate power capacity ahead of anticipated extreme heat next week. (WMTV)
• A Nebraska utility that serves 13 counties seeks public input on a proposed 23-mile transmission project needed to support growing power demand. (Daily Nonpareil)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Electric truck startup Rivian plans to open its first showroom in Chicago in the coming months. (Chicago Tribune)
• Wrapping up a weeklong trip to the U.K., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is actively pursuing partnerships with electric vehicle companies. (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOLAR:
• A Wisconsin county narrowly approves a resolution that encourages businesses and manufacturers to consider rooftop solar opportunities to avoid large-scale projects on agricultural land. (Kenosha News)
• An Illinois county reverses course and approves plans for a 5 MW solar project after officials said their denial would have been preempted by a new state law and likely challenged in court by the developer. (Illinois Times)
• Construction is about two-thirds of the way done on a 1,000-acre solar project in Wisconsin. (WHBL)
CARBON CAPTURE:
• Plans for local zoning regulations and setback distances on carbon pipelines stall in a South Dakota county as elected officials deadlock on the proposal. (AgWeek)
• A public hearing in central Illinois brings out hundreds of opponents of a multi-state carbon pipeline proposal who shared concerns about public safety and lax state and federal regulations. (State Journal-Register)
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