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Can nickel mining recycling ease environmental concerns?

By Andy Balaskovitz

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MATERIALS: The nation’s only nickel mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has secured $195 million in state and federal funding to extract valuable materials from mining waste that supporters hope bring more value and reduce environmental risk. (Bridge)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

  • Democrats’ election message about the Inflation Reduction Act spurring domestic investments did not resonate in Michigan as automakers scaled back EV plans and Republicans emphasized EV ​“mandates.” (Inside Climate News)
  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says federal funding will help launch hundreds of electric vehicle charging stations across the state, adding that the EV transition ​“will continue to grow with or without support from the Trump administration.” (FOX 2)

RENEWABLES: Nearly 80 Michigan counties and townships file a lawsuit claiming the state’s new renewable energy siting law that gives state regulators more power to approve projects is unlawful and unreasonable. (Michigan Advance)

NUCLEAR: Data centers’ demand for large amounts of electricity could stand in the way of Illinois’ longstanding goal to phase out expensive and aging nuclear plants. (Chicago Tribune, subscription)

POLITICS: A forensic accountant tells jurors in the racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan that ComEd directed $1.3 million to five Madigan allies over eight years for do-nothing jobs. (WBEZ)

SOLAR:

  • A park district in metro Chicago installs solar panels with a battery on the roof of a mobile equipment trailer so landscaping workers have easy access to power their electric lawn tools. (Yale Climate Connections)
  • Penske activates a rooftop solar installation at a truck leasing facility in Illinois, the first of several similar projects planned in the Midwest and West and East coasts. (Solar Industry)
  • At least five solar projects between 2 MW and 5 MW in size are planned for an Illinois county southwest of Chicago. (Chicago Tribune, subscription)

BIOFUELS: A proposed $5.5 billion sustainable aviation fuel plant in southern Nebraska could have tens of millions of dollars in economic impact from direct and indirect jobs, according to a study by Nebraska Public Power District. (KFXL)

GRID: DTE Energy is investing $100 million to build three new electric substations in metro Detroit as part of a goal to reduce outage frequency by 30% and outage duration by 50%. (CBS Detroit)

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