Xcel doubles down on solar and storage plan

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.

SOLAR

• Xcel Energy asks Minnesota regulators to double the battery storage capacity and add a 200 MW new phase of solar energy near a retiring coal plant in a bid to scale up the clean energy hub. (Canary Media)

• Madison Gas and Electric seeks approval from Wisconsin regulators to add 85 MW of solar and 18 MW of battery storage capacity. (Wisconsin State Journal)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A growing number of colleges in Minnesota are offering training courses in EV maintenance to prepare a new generation of mechanics who can work on both gas and electric vehicles. (MinnPost)

• Ohio awards a $579,000 grant to Wright State University to bolster EV and advanced manufacturing training courses. (WYSO)

• Automakers have recently laid off thousands of workers at plants in the Midwest as they wait to meet electric vehicle production targets. (The Hill)

GRID

• A group of utilities pitching plans for new transmission connecting South Dakota and Minnesota with the broader region say the project could start construction in 2030, pending necessary regulatory approvals. (The Globe)

• The Southwest Power Pool plans an $8.6 billion slate of 50 transmission projects across its 14-state footprint that the grid operator says will help meet peak demand over the next decade. (Utility Dive)

DATA CENTERS

• Capitalizing on the data center rush in Michigan to meet job growth targets may clash with the state’s 100% clean energy goal by 2040. (Detroit Free Press)

• Some Michigan officials say state energy regulators need to carefully scrutinize DTE Energy’s proposed long-term power supply contract with the developer of the state’s first massive data center. (Detroit Free Press)

• The U.S. data center boom could increase carbon emissions by the equivalent of adding 5 million to 10 million cars to the road each year and significantly stress water supplies, according to new research from Cornell University. (E&E News)

• The Sierra Club files a lawsuit and local zoning challenge that pauses the development of a $12 billion hyperscale data center outside Kansas City, Kansas. (Kansas Reflector)

PIPELINES

• The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe files an appeal in its suit challenging the Dakota Access Pipeline, claiming the project has been operating without a legally granted easement. (KXNET)

HYDROELECTRIC

• A coalition of conservation nonprofits raises concerns about the ongoing maintenance of 13 Michigan hydroelectric dams under Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell the facilities to a private equity firm. (Detroit News)

NEW FROM CANARY

• This startup wants to build pumped hydro storage in the ocean — Julian Spector

• Virginia scored the election’s biggest climate win — Kathryn Krawczyk

• Inside the data-center energy race with Google and Microsoft — Maria Gallucci