Xcel says it will meet Minnesota carbon-free law 5 years early

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

CLEAN ENERGY

Xcel Energy says it can meet Minnesota’s 2040 carbon-free energy law five years early under a plan approved by state regulators that would close coal plants, extend the life of two nuclear plants, add a new gas plant and significantly grow wind and solar capacity. (Star Tribune)

UTILITIES

Illinois regulators order Chicago gas utility Peoples Gas to prioritize the most at-risk pipelines in its distribution system and complete an over-budget modernization project by 2035. (Chicago Sun-Times)

PIPELINES

• The Michigan Court of Appeals upholds state regulators’ approval of permits for Enbridge to build an underground tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac, a setback for environmental groups and tribes. (Michigan Advance)

• A trial set to begin in the Dakota Access pipeline owner’s defamation lawsuit that seeks millions of dollars in damages from Greenpeace is about silencing pipeline protesters and would have far-reaching implications, critics say. (Inside Climate News)

• Iowa lawmakers advance bills that would make carbon pipeline operators liable for increased insurance costs for surrounding landowners and require at least one state regulator to attend public informational meetings. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

GRID

Indiana regulators approve a settlement agreement between large tech companies, utilities and consumer advocates that ensures new industrial users, rather than existing customers, pay for necessary grid upgrades. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Electric vehicle battery plants are set to come online this year across the Midwest, but their long-term success could be undermined by the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back incentives for manufacturers and consumers. (Inside Climate News)

• University of Michigan’s board approves plans for a $60 million electric vehicle battery research lab. (MLive, subscription)

• General Motors awards a $400,000 grant to a Detroit nonprofit for a workforce development program focused on jobs in clean energy and electric vehicles. (Crain’s Detroit, subscription)

• EV maker Rivian forecasts declining sales in 2025 amid federal policy uncertainty and the potential for canceled federal tax credits for automakers. (CNBC)

NUCLEAR

Federal tax credits for shuttered nuclear plant restarts, including in Michigan, face uncertainty based on unanswered questions in recent U.S. Treasury Department guidelines, attorneys say. (Utility Dive)

GEOTHERMAL

Michigan utility Consumers Energy considers a pilot program to determine ideal sites for network geothermal projects, most likely in urban and metropolitan areas. (WSJM)

SOLAR

Kansas residents sue the federal government to stop a single solar project, and aim higher by claiming the Inflation Reduction Act violates a federal law. (Heatmap, subscription)