Today: U.S. battery companies would like to have more of their factories overseas; Trump backs an Arizona copper mine; two midwestern energy comapnies are set for a multibillion dollar merger.

Welcome back: U.S. battery companies are increasingly looking overseas for new manufacturing opportunities, amid waning support for clean technologies at home.

Group14, a Seattle-based silicon-battery materials maker said on Wednesday that it closed a $463 million funding round led by South Korean conglomerate SK Inc, WSJ Pro Sustainable Business reports exclusively. As part of that deal, Group14 will take direct control of the manufacturing of the company’s silicon battery material in South Korea, having previously held a 25% stake in the joint venture.

It follows Lyten, a Californian battery maker, recently purchasing European battery hopeful Northvolt’s German and Swedish operations, after the latter went into bankruptcy last year.

Amid trade spats between nations, companies are going to have to focus on building factories in the markets where they intend to sell, Rick Luebbe, chief executive of Group14 said. “If we really wanted to have direct access to Asia, we needed to fully control manufacturing in Asia.”

Tell us what you think: Send your feedback and suggestions at perry.cleveland-peck@wsj.com or reply to any newsletter. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up here.

President Trump signaled support for a giant copper mine in Arizona following a meeting with the heads of two of the world’s biggest mining companies, a day after the project was delayed by a court injunction.

The project, called Resolution Copper, has been under development by mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Group for roughly two decades, but it has faced legal challenges from Native American people, religious groups and others who say the planned mine will turn a sacred area into a crater, the WSJ’s Rhiannon Hoyle writes.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday issued a temporary administrative injunction stopping a federal land swap needed for the project while it considers the merits of lawsuits seeking to block the mine. The land transfer had been expected to occur on Tuesday.

See also: In Battle to Save Sacred Land From Mining Giants, Apaches Hope for a Miracle

NorthWestern Energy Group and Black Hills have agreed to combine to form a large $7.8 billion regulated electric and natural gas utility company at a time of climbing energy demand across the U.S.

The two companies said in a joint statement Tuesday that their boards approved a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock, tax-free merger with a combined enterprise value of $15.4 billion, Adriano Marchese writes for the WSJ.

The combination is expected to create a pure-play, regulated, vertically integrated utility with greater scale and fuel mix, serving about 2.1 million customers across the eight states of Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

• The U.S. is rapidly gaining more EV fast chargers, despite a lack of federal funds (MarketWatch)
   
• The rainforests being cleared to build your RV. (NYT)
   
• Scotts Miracle-Gro tried playing both sides: weed killers, "weed" growers (WSJ)

• Dramatic slowdown in melting of Arctic sea ice surprises scientists (Guardian)
   
• Why the global plastics talks collapsed — and what’s next (Trellis)
   
• Greenwashing complaint filed against Canadian fossil fuel companies (Bloomberg)

• Will a 3-minute battery swap beat a 5-minute charge for China’s EV drivers? (FT)

WSJ Pro Sustainable Business gives you an inside look at how companies are tackling sustainability. Send comments to bureau chief Perry Cleveland-Peck at perry.cleveland-peck@wsj.com and reporters Clara Hudson at clara.hudson@wsj.com and Yusuf Khan at yusuf.khan@wsj.com. Follow us on LinkedIn at wsjperry, clara-hudson and yusuf_khan.