Advocates prepare to ramp up Line 5 pipeline fight

PIPELINES: The controversy surrounding a proposed Great Lakes tunnel for Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline is expected to intensify over the next few years, with more than 60 Indigenous nations opposed to the project. (Grist)

ALSO: North Dakota regulators are set to hear arguments Thursday on whether local zoning rules should supersede state pipeline regulations. (North Dakota Monitor)

GRID: Data centers, factories, heat pumps, and EVs are increasing electricity demand faster than grid capacity is expanding, a study finds. (Canary Media)

CLIMATE:

• A delegation of Ohio officials discuss their takeaways from attending the COP28 climate conference and how they are implementing solutions locally. (Ideastream)
• The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is conducting a national search for a new state climatologist. (Nebraska Examiner)

NUCLEAR:

• A bipartisan group of Congress members urge the U.S. Department of Energy to expedite a decision on a loan application to help restart Michigan’s Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. (Holland Sentinel)
• Illinois lawmakers and interest groups share mixed opinions on the state’s new law lifting a moratorium on nuclear construction for small reactors. (WAND)

SOLAR: A Kansas planning commission vote on whether to recommend a permit for a large solar project north of Lawrence ends in a 4-4 tie. (Lawrence Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian selects a Missouri company, Clayco, to build its new factory east of Atlanta, Georgia. (Fox 2)

TRANSPORTATION:

• A federal grant helps a rural northern Minnesota school district purchase two new electric school buses, among only 10 in the state so far. (Star Tribune)
• Nearly four years after eliminating bus fares, Kansas City’s transit agency will consider whether to reintroduce a fare system in 2025. (Kansas City Star)

COAL: Coal miners in North Dakota discover a 7-foot-long mammoth tusk, prompting a pause in mining for paleontologists to survey the area. (WISN)