November 2024 Newsletter

In a first-of-its-kind order in DTE’s 2024 gas rate case, the Michigan Public Service Commission now requires DTE to submit an updated gas delivery plan aligned with state energy goals. This plan must support emissions targets, assess transition pathways, evaluate costs and risks, and provide a timeline for achieving key milestones. ELPC collaborated with the Ecology Center, Vote Solar, and Union of Concerned Scientists to secure this important advancement.

Thanks to ELPC advocacy, IUC rescinded confusing and outdated rules to improve utility transparency. ELPC's Senior Attorney Josh Mandelbaum said: "The outdated verification rules allowed MidAmerican to mislead the public about its clean energy mix, claiming 100% renewable energy while operating a large, uneconomic, and polluting coal fleet.”

ELPC and Midwest Environmental Advocates are contesting a wastewater permit issued to Pagel's Ponderosa, a CAFO in Kewaunee County. The action was filed on behalf of Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin, Friends of the Forestville Dam, and a Kewaunee County resident whose private drinking water well was contaminated by nitrates.

ELPC’s Northwest Indiana Protector Project fights to protect communities and natural ecosystems by working to tighten air and water permits for steel mills, oil refineries, and other industrial facilities. Last week, ELPC attended a number of public events – including a community meeting in Dune Acres and a hearing in Whiting – to call for stronger air permits on Tradebe's hazardous waste facility.

Founded in 1993, the Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest's leading environmental legal advocacy organization. We advocate, innovate, and litigate to protect the Midwest's environment from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains.