Midwest Energy News — a daily newsletter
Advocates say MISO’s transmission plans may not go far enough
GRID: The Midcontinent Independent System Operator proposes a second round of transmission upgrades across the Midwest costing as much as $23 billion, but advocates question whether the plan sufficiently anticipates future clean energy needs. (Energy News Network)
ALSO: A North Dakota utility says a massive new cryptocurrency data center is straining a power line, which has cost it $18 million in demand charges, much of which gets passed on to customers. (Bismarck Tribune)
CARBON CAPTURE:
- South Dakota lawmakers pass three bills regulating carbon pipelines, but remain divided on whether the new rules — praised by the ethanol industry — go far enough to protect landowners. (South Dakota Searchlight)
- In a radio interview, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum praises the carbon capture industry, which he says will “add $70 billion of tax revenue to North Dakota over the coming decades.” (WZFG)
NATURAL GAS:
- Federal regulators order a Missouri natural gas utility to repair more than a dozen properties it damaged while constructing a new pipeline. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Some local officials who backed a planned natural gas plant in Superior, Wisconsin have become more skeptical of the project. (MPR News)
POLLUTION: Multiple Midwest states join a lawsuit challenging a new EPA rule tightening standards for particulate pollution. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
- A Missouri bill would prohibit solar development on more than 2% of farmland in any county, with the bill’s sponsor raising concerns about how “quarter- to half-million-dollar homes on 10 acres” might be impacted by having solar arrays nearby. (Missourian)
- Sedgwick County, Kansas, officials delay a decision on proposed solar regulations, opting instead to extend a moratorium for six more months. (KMUW)
- Illinois announces $8.5 million in funding to support community solar projects in low-income and historically disinvested communities. (WSIL)
- Milwaukee officials approve a contract with We Energies to buy 10.6 MW of power from new solar projects on city property. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
BIOENERGY:
- A Minnesota natural gas company says it will allow access to its proposed renewable gas pipeline to landowners along the route. (West Central Tribune, subscription)
- Chevron announces it is shutting down two biodiesel plants in Iowa and Wisconsin. (Carroll Times Herald)
TRANSPORTATION: Rapid City, South Dakota’s city council passes a resolution in support of a proposed passenger rail expansion that would connect the city to Sioux Falls and Denver. (Rapid City Journal)
COMMENTARY: A Kansas advocate says the state’s lack of a comprehensive energy plan has made this year’s legislative debate feel “a lot like a dysfunctional road trip.” (Kansas Reflector)
