Minnesota’s sustainable jet fuel ambitions

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

BIOFUELS

• Minnesota’s largest petroleum refinery and greenhouse gas emitter is set to open the nation’s biggest facility outside of California that blends biofuels into jet fuel. (MinnPost)

RENEWABLES

• A coalition of 79 local governments in Michigan ask the state Supreme Court to consider their case challenging a state law that allows renewable energy developers to bypass local approval and seek state authorization for projects. (MLive)

OIL AND GAS

• An Ohio oil and gas commission approves 21 bids by companies to frack more than 15,000 acres of public land, mostly in a state wildlife area. (Ohio Capital Journal)

• Iowa regulators say they’re investigating safety risks at Black Hills Energy’s natural gas system, citing aging lines and a high number of alleged violations. (E&E News)

COAL

• The Citizens Utility Board of Ohio in a new report questions policies that keep aging coal plants online, saying they increase prices in the short term while discouraging investment in cheaper and more efficient alternatives. (Ohio Capital Journal)

SOLAR

• University of Wisconsin researchers pursue the best ways to deploy agrivoltaics by measuring water use, soil carbon levels and wind patterns. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

PIPELINES

• Iowa regulators issue an order clarifying that Summit Carbon Solutions can’t start construction on a carbon pipeline before the company gets approval on a new route. (KCCI)

UTILITIES

• Ameren Missouri seeks a $343 million rate increase from state regulators for various grid infrastructure upgrades. (St. Louis Public Radio)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Ohio regulators approve plans for a 250 MW behind-the-meter power plant with 116 MW of battery storage to serve an adjacent data center. (Farm and Dairy)

GRID

• Minnesota regulators approve a route permit for a portion of a new transmission line between South Dakota and Central Minnesota. (Fergus Fall Daily Journal)

• Extreme heat this week causes equipment failure and power outages for about 200 Detroit DTE Energy customers. (WDIV)

OVERSIGHT

• A member of the Indiana Public Utilities Commission resigns effective Aug. 31, giving Gov. Mike Braun an opportunity to fill the vacancy as rising electric bills become a key focus. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)