Good morning! Seven cities, mostly in the Midwest, with coal-burning blast furnaces rank among the top 25 with the worst air quality in the U.S. Researchers say that’s no coincidence. The climate research group Industrious Labs recently compared American Lung Association data with prior research on steel factories’ pollution, finding that alternatives to coal can be a key path to improving air quality, Alexander C. Kaufman reports for Canary Media.
TODAY'S TOP NEWS
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution from coal-burning steel mills in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan strongly correlate to poor air quality in the communities where they’re located and could improve by adopting cleaner-burning alternatives, researchers find. (Canary Media)
FOSSIL FUELS
Indiana consumer advocates are split on Duke Energy’s plan to replace a coal plant with new natural gas projects, as a state-backed agency says the plant should stay open to avoid new gas plants while a nonprofit argues clean energy should replace the coal generation. (WFYI)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
General Motors’ plan to invest heavily in electric vehicles could put it ahead of competitors but also potentially lead to steep losses under Trump administration policies and waning consumer interest, auto analysts say. (Detroit News)
CLIMATE
A Minnesota group founded and led by teenagers leads various conservation projects to help participants channel their climate anxiety. (New York Times)
GRID
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s sustainability director says the creation of a sustainable energy utility can improve the city’s outdated electric grid and is a less daunting proposition than some advocates’ call for a fully municipally owned utility. (WEMU)
Minnesota Power hosts a series of open houses this week giving the public the chance to weigh in on plans for a 63-mile transmission line near Duluth. (KAXE)
EFFICIENCY
Indiana opens a $180 million home energy rebates program to help residents pay for energy efficiency upgrades as well as electric appliances. (Indiana Public Radio)
STORAGE
A Dairyland Electric Cooperative executive says pairing battery storage with wind energy could deliver major grid benefits to its western Wisconsin territory. (WisBusiness)
COAL
The attorney representing former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in his bribery case says repealing coal plant subsidies included the HB 6 law threatens jobs and tax revenue in communities where the two plants operate. (News 5)
SOLAR
A 10 MW southwestern Minnesota solar project that’s equipped with a 5 MW battery storage system is bringing more reliability to the community’s electric grid, local officials say. (Marshall Independent)
Michigan regulators approve a long-term contract for the University of Michigan to offtake power from an 80 MW DTE Energy solar project. (Daily Energy Insider)
BIOGAS
A Nebraska landfill enters into a $20 million, 25-year agreement to capture methane emissions for biogas that will be added to a nearby natural gas pipeline. (NTV)
Clare Fieseler compiles a detailed timeline of the ups and downs of the Empire Wind project from the moment President Trump signed his executive order banning new offshore wind to the announcement that he conceded to let construction resume off New York.
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