Biden touts electric vehicles in Michigan

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: President Biden says China ​“will not win this race” during a visit to Michigan to tout the administration’s electric vehicle investment plan — and get a glimpse of Ford’s new electric pickup truck. (MLive)

ALSO:
• The University of Wisconsin will partner with a California electric vehicle startup on an electric propulsion research center. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• Utilities and state officials strategize on electric vehicles deployment as companies prepare to manufacture vehicles in central Illinois. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
• A Wisconsin transit agency will unveil two electric buses this fall along with charging stations. (WKBT)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition via Fresh Energy is hiring for a Manager of Building Policy and Technology consultant to support policy and technology solutions. Apply before June 1.***

EFFICIENCY: Minnesota lawmakers agree to expand the state’s energy conservation program that will increase utility spending on energy efficiency, particularly for low-income households. (Star Tribune)

PIPELINES: Some Ohio lawmakers make a plea to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to back off plans to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, but she has given no indications of doing so. (Toledo Blade)

SOLAR:
• Local officials in central Minnesota consider plans for a solar project that would incorporate crops to keep the surrounding area as productive farmland. (Hutchinson Leader)
• County officials in eastern Nebraska approve an 81 MW solar project two weeks after local planners rejected the plan. (KETV)
• Local officials will unveil a solar project that’s expected to save a central Indiana water utility about $1.8 million over the life of the project. (The Times)
• An Indiana school district considers adding a second solar installation to offset about 60% of the district’s electricity costs. (Daily Journal)
• Officials in Evanston, Illinois, launch a new community solar program for residents who are unable to install panels on their property. (Daily Northwestern)
• An Ohio cooperative solar group-buying program seeks to recruit more participants in Columbus. (WOSU)

COAL: An updated report from a Michigan environmental group shows ongoing groundwater contamination from coal ash storage sites. (Michigan Radio)

INFRASTRUCTURE: Officials say cybersecurity remains a top issue at South Dakota hydroelectric and wind energy projects, which make up a majority of the state’s power generation. (KELO)

ADVOCACY: The Minnesota Attorney General argues in a rate case that utility customers should not pay membership dues to a North Dakota advocacy group that promotes the state’s lignite coal industry. (Energy and Policy Institute)

WIND: Five years after Dakota Access pipeline protests, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe pursues wind development to promote self sufficiency. (KXNET)

COMMENTARY: Advocates say 25 states have now taken a closer look at the practice of running coal plants when cheaper alternatives are available with some ​“very tangible successes” to date. (Union of Concerned Scientists)