ITC Midwest LLC and Dairyland Power Cooperative, two Midwest utilities, have filed a federal appeal in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to lift a preliminary injunction blocking the completion of the final mile of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line between Iowa and Wisconsin. The injunction prevents utilities from completing the last 1.1 miles of the $650 million project and prevents completion of a land swap with the Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire a needed easement through the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Mississippi River. The appeal continues years of federal and state litigation over the 101-mile transmission line, originally approved by the region’s grid operator more than a decade ago to bolster grid reliability and help utilities meet carbon goals.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
