ELPC logo
This Month Across the Midwest

► DECEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

Photo of an "I Voted" sticker on top of a bed of leaves on the ground.

Seizing Environmental Opportunities After 2022 Midterm Elections 

The public’s overall message in the 2022 midterm elections is clear: people mostly voted for competence, stability, and problem-solving instead of chaos and disruption. People didn’t vote for change. They voted for calm nationally and in the Midwest states. The re-elected Midwest governors can advance effective bipartisan regional coordination for EV charging infrastructure, Great Lakes restoration, a higher-speed passenger rail network, and energy efficiency, which are key climate change solutions.

ELPC’s Executive Director Howard Learner identified environmental opportunities for the Midwest moving forward.
READ THE FULL BLOG

News & Updates


  CLEAN ENERGY


Photo of man installing solar panels on the roof of a residential home.

Big Win in Wisconsin Third-Party Ownership Case

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on Thursday sided with ELPC, Keyes & Fox LLP, and our client Vote Solar in finding that a family of four in Stevens Point can use third-party ownership to install rooftop solar panels. This clarifies for Wisconsinites looking to add renewables to their homes and businesses that this financing method is and always has been legal in the state, despite utility protestations. “You can finance a car. You can finance a refrigerator. It’s just common sense that you should be able to finance home solar,” said ELPC Staff Attorney Erica McConnell. “But unlike cars or refrigerators, home renewables have climate benefits that extend far beyond the families that invest in them. Third-party financing helps get more renewable power on the grid quickly, reliably, and safely.”  

Photo of Columbia Gas office with signage in front.

Columbia Gas of Ohio Plans to Hike Rates 

ELPC has joined a coalition of environmental and consumer groups urging regulators to reject plans that would skyrocket fixed customer charges and gut energy efficiency programs. “There is no good time for a needless rate hike, but with high gas prices this comes at a particularly devastating time for Ohio families,” said ELPC Senior Attorney Rob Kelter.

Photo of DTE Energy office with large signage out front.

Michigan Rate Case Win for Energy Equity & Clean Transportation 

ELPC and coalition partners were glad to see the Michigan Public Service Commission release its final order on utility giant DTE Energy’s 2022 rate case. Commissioners approved a more modest rate increase, rejected an unprecedented demand charge fee for solar customers, and approved new opportunities for electric vehicles, school buses, and charging stations.  


  CLEAN WATER


Photo a lighthouse in Lake Erie.

Consent Decree Requires Ohio to Cap Lake Erie Pollution  

After ELPC’s groundbreaking 2018 lawsuit forced Ohio EPA to acknowledge that Lake Erie is “impaired” by harmful algal blooms, the state was reluctant to take the next step toward cleanup. In 2019, we filed a second lawsuit, which also proved successful. In a new U.S. EPA consent decree, Ohio must develop a mandatory cap on algae-fueling nutrient pollution, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). ELPC will continue to push for the strongest standards possible to protect clean water.


  CONSIDER ELPC THIS HOLIDAY SEASON


As you consider your end-of-year giving, please add a donation to ELPC to your listBecause of your support, we have attorneys holding polluters accountable, advocates expanding clean energy, and a team of people protecting the Great Lakes and other special places across the Midwest.
DONATE NOW

  NEWS & CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING


  • Circle of Blue: Opposition to CAFOs Mounts Across the Nation
  • KNIA-KRLS: In Depth: Electric School Buses 
  • Ohio Capital Journal: Columbia Gas Poised to Get Big Rate Increase 
  • Energy News Network: Solar Coalition Wants to Put Equity Front and Center in Xcel’s Minnesota Rate Case 
  • Union of Concerned Scientists Blog: How Will DTE’s Long-Term Plan Impact Michigan’s Clean Energy Future? 
  • Toledo Blade: Ohio’s Proposed Transfer for Manure Oversight is Denied After 20-Year Debate 
  • New York Times: With Federal Aid on the Table, Utilities Shift to Embrace Climate Goals 
  • NBC 15: Madison Amtrak Project Chugs Along, City Seeks Public Input 
  • News 5 Cleveland: Northeast Ohio Consumers Share Concerns Over Proposed Columbia Gas Increase 
  • Wisconsin Examiner: Farm Under County Scrutiny for Runoff Involved in State Program for Reducing Pollution 
  • WBEZ: Biden Tightens Methane Emissions Rules, Even as the U.S. Pushes for More Oil Drilling 
  • Inside Climate News: Four States Just Got a ‘Trifecta’ of Democratic Control, Paving the Way for Climate and Clean Energy Legislation
Environmental Law & Policy Center's logo

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.
Website
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
 






This email was sent to [email protected]
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Environmental Law and Policy Center · 35 E Upper Wacker Dr · Ste 1600 · Chicago, Illinois 60601 · USA