►FEBRUARY 2022 NEWSLETTER
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Success in Federal Court! Transmission Line Cannot Cross Upper Mississippi Refuge
In a major win for conservationists, a federal court ruled that agencies’ approvals of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line violated environmental laws by neglecting to consider reasonable alternatives that are less environmentally damaging and costly. The court’s opinion also makes clear that the huge transmission line is not compatible with the purpose and statutory protections for the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which is the gem of the Refuge System in the Midwest.
As the opinion itself stated, “The Utilities are pushing forward with construction on either side of the Refuge, even without an approved path through the Refuge, in order to make any subsequent challenge to a Refuge crossing extremely prejudicial to their sunk investment, which will fall on their ratepayers regardless of completion of the CHC project, along with a guaranteed return on the Utilities’ investment in the project.” The court’s opinion also requested a briefing on remedies, which we submitted on Jan. 31 on behalf of our clients, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and Defenders of Wildlife.
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 CLEAN ENERGY
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ELPC and a strong coalition of Indiana groups have prevailed in a case challenging an unfair tariff for rooftop solar. After the state overhauled its net metering policy in 2017, the CenterPoint utility (formerly Vectren) took things even further to reduce compensation for customers who provide solar energy back to the grid, but the Appeals court agreed with us that the new tariff violated the law. As ELPC Senior Attorney Brad Klein explains, this win will provide stability and certainty for the rooftop solar industry and Indiana customers.
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 CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
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From faster trains to more frequent service, the Midwest is seeing improvements in passenger rail left and right. If Midwest states act quickly and cooperatively, we’ll see new funds flowing to the region soon. ELPC Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker breaks it down.
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 WATCH THIS
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In case you missed it, we had a robust conversation with Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), who shared his vision and environmental priorities.
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 WE'RE HIRING
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CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING
- Madison.com: Consumer group asks utility regulators to halt ‘bridge to nowhere’
- New York Times: Biden Administration to Reinstate Mercury Pollution Rules Weakened Under Trump
- Des Moines Register: Opinion: MidAmerican should save customers more than $1 billion by retiring coal
- Grist: How a $60 million bribery scandal helped Ohio pass the ‘worst energy policy in the country’
- Illinois.gov: Pritzker Administration Awards Over $4.2 million in Grants Providing 17 Electric School Buses in Chicagoland and Metro-East
- Illinois Environmental Council Lunch and Learn: ELPC Senior Policy Advocate MeLena Hessel on renewable energy procurement by the Illinois Power Agency
- New York Times: Biden Administration to Reinstate Mercury Pollution Rules Weakened Under Trump
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We're all in to protect the Midwest's environment.
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.
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