Minnesota nickel mine to face environmental scrutiny

EFFICIENCY: A southern Minnesota housing development is among a growing list of projects proving that energy efficiency and affordability are not mutually exclusive, offering rents far below the area median. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The operator of a proposed Minnesota nickel mine files to begin the environmental review for the project that would supply nickel to Tesla for electric vehicle batteries. (Associated Press)
• A local city hall is among 17 locations in Indiana where Duke Energy is deploying 34 fast-charging electric vehicle stations. (WBIW)

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BIOFUELS: Iowa elected officials and farm and biofuel advocacy groups slam a U.S. EPA decision to scale back how much ethanol should be blended in U.S. fuel supplies over the next two years. (Des Moines Register)

CARBON CAPTURE:
• A carbon pipeline developer formally files its proposed route through Illinois, that avoids a contentious area around Peoria. (WSIU)
• A South Dakota county advances a carbon pipeline ordinance that includes 1-mile setback distances from municipalities with a population of at least 5,000 people. (Mitchell Republic)
• A group of Iowa landowners sues a carbon pipeline developer, saying state regulators do not have the authority to approve the type of pipeline being proposed. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
• The developer of a five-state carbon pipeline says a permitting decision on the Iowa section could come by the end of the year. (AgWeek)

CLEAN ENERGY: Michigan business groups say proposed legislation calling for 100% carbon-free power by 2035 would ​“wreak havoc” on the state’s grid, while bill supporters say it is a rough draft subject to negotiations. (Crain’s Detroit Business, subscription)

GRID: Illinois and Michigan rank among the top Midwest states for grid interconnection rules, according to a recent analysis by clean energy groups. (Solar Power World)

PIPELINES: Michigan’s attorney general says a recent court ruling ordering Enbridge to shut down Line 5 on Wisconsin tribal land removes risks of pollution to Lake Superior. (Michigan Advance)

CLIMATE: An award-winning meteorologist is leaving an Iowa TV news station next month, citing the mental health impacts from ongoing threats toward his coverage of climate issues. (Washington Post)

UTILITIES: Consumer advocates raise concerns about a major private equity firm buying a stake in Indiana utility NIPSCO, saying it creates an opaque operating structure that places consumers and the climate at risk. (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: Consumers Energy debuts a Flint, Michigan, facility that will train hundreds of workers in the state who build and operate natural gas infrastructure. (MLive)

COMMENTARY: Clean air and biofuel advocates say greater adoption of biofuels can help to improve the Detroit region’s air quality. (Crain’s Detroit Business)