Share
Local stories from Desk reporters on power generation projects and their myriad impacts from South Dakota to Ukraine
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Weekly newsletter: April 15, 2026


View in browser | Forward to a friend | Subscribe

Power generation across the Basin

Dasha and a passing stranger try to start a cafe’s generator during a blackout in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Delaney Nolan/The Lens)

Hi ,


I hope you are welcoming the official start of spring in your own way this week. We've been enjoying the cherry blossoms around my neighborhood, a welcome pop of color in all the rain.


It's been a few months since we collected some of the local work our reporters produce outside their time with the Desk, and when I go looking for these stories, I usually try to let a theme emerge. These are stories our staff didn't edit, so it's an interesting litmus test of what Basin communities (or at least newsrooms) are talking about. This month, that's clearly been power generation: oil and gas extraction, alternatives and the global reach of these fuels. 


The price of fuel is on a lot of people's minds lately, as the war in Iran has driven prices up more than 30% in the past two weeks, per the New York Times. With that global view, I was especially interested to read Delaney Nolan's excellent piece about Gulf producers shipping liquified natural gas (LNG) to Ukraine, where Russian attacks on energy infrastructure force people to rely on small generators. And as Delaney reports, that drives domestic prices higher, too.


Keep reading for that story and more.




Lawmakers’ wood pellet wishes clash with their anti-carbon storage proposals

By Elise Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator


Some Louisiana legislators have environmental concerns over pumping CO2 underground, while others say storing it only feeds the climate change “scam.”

Drilling project moves forward in the heart of the Black Hills

By Gabrielle Nelson, Buffalo's Fire


Forest Service waives environmental assessment, disregarding cultural significance of Pe’ Sla.

As Russia bombs Ukraine’s power plants, Gulf Coast LNG companies win big

By Delaney Nolan, The Lens


LNG shipped from Louisiana is increasingly keeping the lights on in Ukraine, where relentless Russian airstrikes have left the country scrambling for fuel. That pushes up gas prices in the US.

One more piece before you go, on a different type of fuels. Jess Savage of Northern Public Radio has a really interesting piece (with great photos!) about controlled fire used to manage tallgrass prairies in Illinois. (I am sucker for these, and used to sit and watch them burn the prairie outside a college apartment in Decorah, Iowa.)


And finally, a housekeeping item: We're hiring! We're looking for our next full-time Assistant Editorial Director. Read the description and apply here.


That's all for now. Thanks for reading. More next week from across the Basin.

Best,


Michael Crowe

Operations Manager,

Ag & Water Desk


The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Click here for a map of the basin and our partner newsrooms.


Reach us at info@agwaterdesk.org or by replying to this email. 


You're receiving this because you signed up to receive the Ag & Water Desk newsletter or opted in via our distribution network or through direct outreach with our team.


Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign