Environmental News

MPR News is your source for environment news from Minnesota and across the country.

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

Getting to Green is an MPR News series that shares stories about Minnesota’s clean energy transition, including what needs to be done to get there.

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Climate Cast

Listen to Climate Cast, the MPR News podcast all about our changing climate and its impact in Minnesota and worldwide.

Climate One series: John Browne on engineering the future
For the Climate One series, Greg Dalton interviews John Browne about his book, “Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization.”
In second Line 3 approval, state regulators take up safety, spills — and climate change
Minnesota utility regulators have once again given their blessing to Line 3, the oil pipeline replacement project Enbridge Energy has proposed for northern Minnesota — but not before having a sometimes heated discussion about the project's impact on climate change.
Minnesota utility regulators give key approvals to Line 3 pipeline project
Months after a court decision threw its future into question, the Line 3 pipeline replacement project is moving closer to regaining the permits it needs to begin construction.
For state utility regulators, it’s Line 3 all over again
More than a year and a half after regulators at the state Public Utilities Commission first approved the oil pipeline replacement project, they’re being asked to consider it again. A state court overturned the project's environmental review last summer, and the PUC now has to decide whether to approve a revised assessment.
Minnesota considers raising water permit fees
Cities, industries and some livestock farmers could pay more for water quality permit fees under a proposal by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. But some cities and farmers are objecting, saying the money should come from the state's general fund instead.
Climate One series: John Browne on engineering the future
For the Climate One series, Greg Dalton interviews John Browne about his book, “Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization.”
As regulations roll back, could clean water protection business dry up?
The Trump administration is stripping clean water protections put in place by President Obama, and some in the industry worry that the regulatory changes will threaten their business.
Regulators revisit environmental review for Line 3 pipeline
Most of Friday's testimony strayed well beyond the narrow official scope of the proceedings into the broader questions of whether the project should even be built.
State regulators to hear public comments on Line 3 pipeline project once again
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the project, which would replace an aging Enbridge Energy oil pipeline across northern Minnesota, in June 2018. But last summer, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the project first needed a revised environmental study in order to move forward. On Friday, the PUC will hear public comments on the new study.
As Xcel moves toward coal-free, will natural gas remain part of energy mix?
Xcel Energy is proposing to replace a coal-fired power plant in Becker with a brand-new plant that would burn natural gas to generate electricity. The company says it needs natural gas as part of its transition to carbon-free electricity. But some climate advocates say building a new fossil fuel plant is unnecessary — and may be unwise.