Maple Saplings in a Wooded Area

For the trees

As we gear up for comments on whether or not burning biomass is “carbon free” at the Public Utilities Commission (news flash: it’s not), it’s important to lay out how CURE has mindfully started working at the nexus of climate and public lands. We know that properly managing natural and working lands is key to

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MN State Capitol at Night

A Voice for Rural Minnesota: CURE’s 2024 Legislative Wrap-up

During the 2024 Legislative Session, CURE was a voice for rural Minnesota, advocating for a clean energy future while striving to protect and preserve the Minnesota landscapes and communities we love. This was sometimes a lonely position to hold. No other organization does what CURE does in rural Minnesota. But being a progressive rural advocate

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Coal Smoke Stacks

Environmental and rural community groups slam DOE’s weak review of North Dakota’s Project Tundra (again)

Montevideo, MN, May 14, 2024 — On May 13th, 2024, CURE, The Sierra Club, and Dakota Resource Council (DRC) submitted a joint comment challenging the findings of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) most recent environmental review of Project Tundra, a proposed large-scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in North Dakota. Project Tundra is

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USDA Touts Farmer Benefit Plans

CURE originated Farmer Benefit Plans & hails announcement as vital for farmers & rural communities In early March, at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) PowerXchange gathering, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) use of Farmer Benefit Plans for Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable

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Hudson Kingston

Hudson Kingston, CURE Legal Director, awarded Minnesota Attorney of the Year

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, CURE’s Legal Director, Hudson Kingston, was honored as a 2023 Minnesota Attorney of the Year, awarded by Minnesota Lawyer magazine. Hudson is being recognized as part of the legal team that represented the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) in their David-and-Goliath struggle against the City of Minneapolis. EPNI sued the

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Erik Hatlestad at the White House

Erik Hatlestad, CURE Energy Democracy Director, Answers USDA request to Serve with Rural Utility Service

At the end of January, CURE bid a temporary “bon voyage” to Energy Democracy Director Erik Hatlestad as he started serving a six-month detail with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Rural Utility Service (RUS) as a Clean Energy Benefits Advisor. During his detail, Hatlestad will help the RUS implement the Empowering

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Ethanol Plant, Corn, Electric Vehicle

A Midwestern Low Carbon Fuel Standard is Not a Climate Solution

On February 1, 2024, four organizations published a Minority Report entitled “A Midwestern Low Carbon Fuel Standard is Not a Climate Solution: Minority Report on the Clean Transportation Standard Work Group Report to the Legislature” in response to the fuels report released by several state agencies and the Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) Work Group. The Minority

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Windmill on Prairie

Minnesota weighs in on the meaning of “Clean Energy” as PUC releases draft EIS for segment of proposed CO2 pipeline

Today, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC or Commission) released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 28-mile Otter Tail to Wilkin Counties segment of Summit Carbon Solutions’ (Summit) proposed 240+ mile carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline network in Minnesota. This begins a 30-day comment period where Minnesotans can weigh in on the clean-energy future

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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!