Building codes can make Kansas City a climate leader, advocates say

Correction: State regulators ordered Ameren Illinois last week to study the costs and benefits of switching from MISO to PJM’s grid. An item in Tuesday’s digest incorrectly characterized the order.

BUILDINGS: Kansas City officials are set to resume a debate next month about adopting stronger building codes that advocates say could help the city make progress toward its climate goals. (The Beacon)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: A decision to approve relocating a scrapyard to Chicago’s Southside violated residents’ civil rights and is part of an ongoing pattern of environmental discrimination, a federal investigation concludes. (Grist)

SOLAR:
• The Biden administration is set to announce a new effort today to deliver more solar power to low-income homes by providing subsidies for community solar subscriptions. (Politico)
• Iowa regulators approve permits for a pair of solar projects near a former nuclear plant, though final approval is up to county officials. (The Gazette)
• Enbridge has started construction on two solar projects totaling 20 MW of capacity to help power its pipeline operations in Wisconsin. (WSAW)
• Two local officials in northeastern Wisconsin were recently recalled based on their support for a large-scale solar project. (NBC26)
• The number of solar industry jobs in Minnesota has increased 14% since 2020, according to a new report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. (KAAL)

PIPELINES:
• The Illinois portion of a $3.2 billion carbon capture pipeline would span 13 counties before ending at a site capable of storing hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide. (The Pantagraph)
• The Republican-endorsed Minnesota attorney general candidate wants incumbent AG Keith Ellison to reject requests to review criminal cases tied to oil pipeline protests as a special prosecutor. (Duluth News Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: An Illinois utility official says energy efficiency is the best path for customers struggling to pay high energy prices this summer. (Southern Illinoisan)

RENEWABLES: A Cleveland suburb submits a plan to state regulators for a citywide electric aggregation program that would be sourced entirely by renewable energy. (Cleveland.com)

GRID:
• Ameren Illinois is collecting public feedback through the end of the week on a proposed transmission line connecting substations in northern Illinois. (News Tribune)
• Residents and business owners speak out against Duke Energy’s request to raise distribution rates by $55 million in southwestern Ohio to pay for grid upgrades. (WLWT)

OIL & GAS: Iowa’s 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target would likely be constrained by local ordinances blocking wind development and require natural gas along with carbon sequestration. (Natural Gas Intelligence)

FINANCE: Three Republican state treasurers tell North Dakota lawmakers that allowing investors to consider social or environmental factors is ​“coercive capitalism” and undermines the U.S. Constitution. (Bismarck Tribune)