U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approves federal Line 3 pipeline permit

Note to readers: Midwest Energy News is taking a break for the holiday and will be back on Monday, Nov. 30. Thank you for reading!

POLITICS: Supporters of the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act in Illinois say a ​“mysterious dark money group” is co-opting messages on climate and clean energy with vague messages critical of utility’s clean energy transitions. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: Democratic lawmakers in Ohio are growing frustrated with the lack of action to repeal the state’s power plant bailout law as the investigation has ​“snowballed into something much larger than where we started.” (WOSU)

TRANSMISSION: A pair of energy consultants seek partners for a $9.5 billion transmission-plus-storage project that could complete a renewable energy superhighway connecting Southern California and Chicago. (Energy News Network)

PIPELINES:
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approves the final federal permit needed for Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement and expansion in northern Minnesota. (Associated Press)
• The Army Corps said tribes’ attempts to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline have not met the ​“high bar” required for such action, and concerns about an oil spill are ​“speculative and abstract.” (Bismarck Tribune)
• Climate activists hope President-elect Joe Biden will block the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and publicly oppose Line 3. (InsideClimate News)
• Consumers Energy completes a $610 million project to replace an aging 90-mile natural gas pipeline in eastern Michigan. (Daily Energy Insider)

COAL: Activists seek a just transition as Indiana utilities close coal plants, particularly for those who live near the plants’ air pollution. (Indiana Public Media)

TRANSPORTATION: General Motors drops its support for the Trump administration’s legal effort to nullify California’s fuel economy rules. (New York Times)

WIND: County officials approve plans for an up to 56-turbine wind project in northern Iowa while a moratorium on new applications is in effect. (Radio Iowa)

SOLAR:
• Chicago-based Invenergy announces plans to build the nation’s largest solar project — a $1.6 billion, 1,310 MW project in northeastern Texas. (E&E News, subscription)
• An investor group plans to acquire a solar project near Indianapolis Motor Speedway for $216.5 million. (Inside Indiana Business)
• Kent State University is in the process of adding solar projects to all six of its regional campuses by spring 2021. (Solar Power World)
• A southeastern Michigan township approves new solar siting regulations in anticipation of a planned 150 MW project. (Monroe News)

CLEAN ENERGY: Environmental groups praise multiple Ohio cities that have adopted strong renewable energy targets. (City Beat)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: EV startup Rivian has sold out of its first planned batch of vehicles as the company faces limited production capacity. (Bloomberg)

GEOTHERMAL: St. Paul, Minnesota, officials plan to install a geothermal system at a zoo and conservatory as the city moves toward its carbon neutral goal in municipal buildings over the next decade. (Star Tribune)