Environment

The United States is expected to see a decrease in new solar projects for the first time since they’ve been tracked. And what was supposed to be a banner year for wind projects will likely produce more modest growth.

The final decision to build the project comes after a decade of protests and political reversals in the U.S. Now critics say construction poses a new risk with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Trump administration is replacing Obama-era fuel economy standards with weaker ones that will allow for more air pollution. Groups are already lining up to challenge the new rule.

An investigation from NPR and the PBS show “Frontline” found oil and gas companies had serious doubts that plastic recycling was viable, but promoted it to keep profits high and plastic bans at bay.

The governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire have temporarily ordered the use of disposable bags in stores around their states as a way to tamp down the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. And grocery stores around the country, including some in Minnesota, are putting restrictions on them. But are the fears warranted?

In January, the Minnesota Court of Appeals gave environmentalists a major victory by rejecting some of the most important permits for the planned mine.

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline, nearly three years after it began carrying oil.

A reduction in carbon-emitting coal plants has increased reliance on natural gas. But natural gas is still a major source of emissions, so Minneapolis is eyeing aquifer thermal energy as a cleaner alternative.

The air permits are the latest PolyMet permit requiring further review by the agency that awarded it.

The economic slowdown has temporarily slashed greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say the pandemic’s real silver lining is in how the world is responding.