Energy & Innovation

Electric High Wires

Why the ALLETE/MN Power Acquisition Settlement Fails the Public Interest Test

Energy & Innovation

Re: In the Matter of the Petition of Minnesota Power for the Acquisition of ALLETE by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners, Docket Nos. E-015/PA-24-198 and E-015/M-24-383 CURE submits these initial comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) regarding the questions posed in the July 18, 2025, Notice of Comment Period on […]

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Boswell Energy Center Sign

Environmental Organizations Demand that Minnesota Power Comply with Wastewater Rules at Boswell Plant One Year After Massive Coal-Ash Wastewater Spill

CURE Press Releases, Energy & Innovation, Energy & Innovation Press Releases

Today, Sierra Club, CURE, and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) sent a letter to Minnesota Power demanding that the company address problems associated with storage and management of coal ash wastewater at the coal-fired Boswell Energy Center, which violate the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and associated federal regulations. Under a federal rule governing management of coal ash

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Duluth Night Skyline

Judge sides with consumers & environment, slams proposed BlackRock buyout of Minnesota Power

CURE Press Releases, Energy & Innovation, Energy & Innovation Press Releases

Private equity acquisition of public utility would result in “net harm” On July 15th, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) released her report recommending that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) reject the proposed private equity buyout of ALLETE, Inc., parent company of Minnesota Power, a Duluth-based regulated electric utility serving northern Minnesota residential and industrial customers. Under

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No CO2 Pipelines sign in a rural setting

South Dakota regulators reject Summit’s CO2 pipeline permit

Energy & Innovation

MN PUC declines to reconsider CO2 pipeline permit decision for Otter Tail & Wilkin Counties On April 21st, Summit Carbon Solutions—the company proposing to build the controversial five-state, 2,500-mile Midwest Carbon Express CO2 pipeline network—faced yet another significant setback when South Dakota rejected its application for a permit to build and operate approximately 700 miles of pipeline

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Duluth Night Skyline

Take the Power Back

Energy & Innovation

Why Minnesota Power Should Not Be Privatized ALLETE—a publicly traded energy company headquartered in Duluth MN—announced in May 2024 its plan to be acquired by two large, private investors: the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Among ALLETE’s other holdings it owns Minnesota Power—a public utility serving 150,000 Minnesotan residents, 14 municipalities,

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stanley tucci over the image of a data center

Gird Your Loins: Navigating the Wave of Data Center Development in Minnesota

Energy & Innovation

Minnesota, like states across the country, is facing a sudden influx of proposals to build massive “hyperscale” data centers to meet the demands of big tech companies looking to scale up artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining, cloud computing, and related digital technologies. But while the advancement of Big Tech projects careens forward at breakneck speed, the public scrutiny

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people gathering in the MN state capitol rotunda for Rise + Repair 2025

CURE’s Cliffs Notes on the First Act of MN’s 2025 Legislative Session

Energy & Innovation, Land & Water, People & Communities

This is the second CURE Legislative update of 2025. Stay tuned for periodic updates at key points during the Session, which officially ends on Monday, May 19th. It’s been two months since Minnesota legislators assembled at the Capitol for the start of session, and after a halting start, we now have a better idea of

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45Q Delegation in Washington DC outside the Capitol

CO2 Pipeline Resistance to Congress: Cut the Waste, Repeal 45Q

Energy & Innovation, Land & Water, People & Communities

*99.9% of the tax credits are claimed by massive oil and gas interests. Carbon capture is the most expensive, least effective climate mitigation strategy.   Last week, I traveled to the Capitol with a small but determined group of Minnesotans: landowners, farmers, and community members who are experiencing the threats posed by the carbon capture

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!