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Minnesota to get major transmission upgrade

By Andy Balaskovitz

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GRID: Minnesota regulators approve key permits for a utility’s $940 million plan to upgrade and boost the capacity of a 465-mile transmission line, allowing it to carry more wind energy from North Dakota and help meet clean energy targets. (Star Tribune)

ALSO:

  • American Electric Power’s commercial power sales spiked 12% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, as utility officials forecast even greater demand as data centers come online. (Utility Dive)
  • FirstEnergy’s top executive calls grid operator PJM’s latest capacity auction a ​“canary in the coal mine” that suggests new generation isn’t keeping pace with rising power demand. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES: Minnesota regulators conclude that a small portion of the Summit carbon pipeline in the state’s northwestern corner would have a net benefit on greenhouse gas emissions. (North Dakota Monitor)

TRANSPORTATION: Owners of the nation’s last coal-fired steamship, which runs between Michigan and Wisconsin, examine potential carbon-free ways to power the vessel. (Bridge)

UTILITIES: Michigan’s attorney general says DTE Energy’s $456.4 million electric rate increase, which the utility says prioritizes grid infrastructure, is ​“excessive and unnecessary.” (Michigan Advance)

CLEAN ENERGY:

  • Illinois could replace its fossil fuel power plants by 2030 with 3,000 MW of storage and nearly 8,000 MW of resources looking to connect to the grid, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report. (Utility Dive)
  • Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown cosponsors legislation that would block clean energy production tax credits for ​“foreign entities of concern,” which he says is intended for Chinese companies. (Toledo Blade)

POLITICS:

  • Sen. Brown has increasingly strayed from fellow Democrats on climate and clean energy as he tries to hold on to his seat in a tough reelection. (E&E News, subscription)
  • Supporters of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz say his climate record, particularly over the past two years, would be beneficial as a potential vice presidential candidate. (E&E News, subscription)

EFFICIENCY: Homebuilders threaten to move their work to Kansas City’s suburbs as city officials consider stricter building codes for energy efficiency. (Kansas City Business Journal, subscription)

COMMENTARY: An Ohio building trades official says U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has backed key federal legislation that led to large clean energy manufacturing investments in the state. (Columbus Dispatch)

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