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Advocates say hydrogen hubs plagued by lack of transparency

By Andy Balaskovitz

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HYDROGEN: Community and environmental advocates are increasingly frustrated by a lack of public information and engagement around proposed regional hydrogen hubs, and they worry their input could come too late to affect projects. (Energy News Network)

PIPELINES:

  • A federal judge approves North Dakota’s request to intervene as a co-defendant in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s lawsuit accusing the Army Corps of Engineers of allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to operate unlawfully. (North Dakota Monitor)
  • A natural gas pipeline operator sues an Iowa farmer for allegedly interfering with the company’s easement by installing concrete structures to manage manure above the pipeline. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
  • A Michigan nonprofit and Line 5 opponent organizes college students across the Upper Great Lakes to advocate shutting down the pipeline. (WSJM)

CLEAN ENERGY: Of more than $25 million the USDA has granted in Iowa over the past month, $18.3 million will support nearly 200 rural clean energy projects, including dozens of solar installations. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

SOLAR: Residents in a western Missouri county say the approval of a 400 MW solar project to power a nearby Google data center lacked transparency and will affect their properties. (KSHB)

NUCLEAR:

  • Michigan lawmakers consider bills that would incentivize small nuclear reactors and offer scholarships to graduates who elect to work in the field in the state. (MLive, subscription)
  • A nuclear plant operator along Lake Michigan faces criticism from Michigan lawmakers for attempting to lower its tax bill and cut revenues to local governments and schools. (MLive, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly reliable and are narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered vehicles, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports. (Associated Press)

POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA says in a year-end report that it more than doubled pollution fines and penalties over last year, made its first arrest in a climate-related crime, and stepped up enforcement in historically disadvantaged communities. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: Michigan’s flagship auto industry is in a precarious position as companies scale back electric vehicle production targets and President-elect Trump promises to roll back EV incentives and enact tariffs, among other economic headwinds, a columnist writes. (Michigan Advance)

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