Iowa regulators approve carbon pipeline

PIPELINES: Iowa regulators approve the controversial Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, and for developers to use eminent domain to acquire property, though the project still needs approval in the Dakotas. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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ALSO:

• Landowner rights activists express disappointment in the ruling, while one GOP state lawmaker says regulators “failed miserably at their job and I’m going to file legislation to do their job for them.” (WHO, Radio Iowa)
• A group submits petition signatures seeking to have voters decide whether to reject a South Dakota law that critics say benefits carbon pipeline developers. (South Dakota Searchlight)

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CLEAN ENERGY: District energy systems that heat and cool buildings in Minneapolis-St. Paul and beyond are facing increasing pressure to decarbonize and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. (Energy News Network)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Volkswagen will invest $5 billion in electric vehicle startup Rivian under a new joint venture to share EV architecture and software that could benefit Rivian’s roughly 8,000 workers in Illinois. (Reuters; Crain’s Chicago, subscription)

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NUCLEAR:

• An effort to restart a shuttered nuclear plant in southwestern Michigan may get a boost from a federal nuclear permitting bill awaiting President Biden’s signature, experts say. (MLive)
• An Ohio bill seeks to define nuclear power as “green energy” under a plan that has drawn support from labor groups and concerns from environmental groups. (Toledo Blade)

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SOLAR:

• A Kansas county waffles on commercial solar zoning regulations as previous drafts that had industry support continue to face resident pushback. (The Beacon)
• A developer begins operating a 128 MW solar project in South Dakota, which is the largest solar project in the state. (Solar Industry)

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GRID: Indiana energy groups aren’t concerned about a new MISO outlook forecasting a potential future capacity shortfall, though they are urging more robust planning and avoiding plant retirements. (WTHR)

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UTILITIES: A utility operating in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula withdraws a request for a permanent waiver in how it counts customer outage credits required under a new state law aiming to improve reliability. (Michigan Advance)

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COMMENTARY:

• Three recent Minnesota laws to increase renewable energy targets, paired with supportive siting regulations, show the state is serious about capitalizing on clean energy, a Ceres policy official writes. (Minnesota Reformer)
• Former Democratic Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, who now lobbies for the gas industry, says renewable energy needs to be paired with gas to avoid economic and climate destruction. (Ohio Capital Journal)
• The head of a Michigan propane advocacy group says the Line 5 tunnel needs to be built in the Straits of Mackinac to “ensure energy security and economic stability.” (Bridge)

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