Peg Furshong

CURE’s Peg Furshong appointed to Task Force on Future of Minnesota’s Water by Attorney General Keith Ellison

CURE Press Releases, Land & Water, Land & Water Press Releases

This spring, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison created the Advisory Task Force on Future of Minnesota’s Water. This Task Force aims to study issues affecting the stewardship of Minnesota’s water resources, explore best practices, and collaborate to develop a broad set of recommendations for policymakers and regulators, advocacy groups and business leaders, communities, and individuals. Additionally, […]

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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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pipeline in trench

CURE Seeks Reconsideration of CO2 Pipeline Permit in MN

Energy & Innovation, Land & Water, People & Communities

Updated maps show new pipeline leg in Chippewa, Kandiyohi & Swift Counties  On March 13, CURE, a rural advocacy organization based out of Montevideo, filed an appeal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) arguing that the decision to grant Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC a permit for 28-miles of CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties

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CO2 Pipeline

CURE Seeks Reconsideration of CO2 Pipeline Permit in MN

Energy & Innovation Press Releases

Saint Paul, MN, March 13, 2025 —Today, Minnesota-based rural advocacy organization, CURE, filed an appeal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) arguing that the decision to grant Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC a permit for 28-miles of CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkins Counties is “inconsistent with [Minnesota’s] pipeline routing statutes and rules.” “We

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Maggie Schuppert

CURE’s Maggie Schuppert Named to Extended Producer Responsibility Packaging Board

CURE News, People & Communities

In 2024, Minnesota passed a new law called the Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act. This makes Minnesota only the fifth state in the U.S. to have a special law for packaging and paper products. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, which was created by the law, aims to make companies that manufacture packaging more

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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!