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COAL: New Mexico’s largest utility says retrofitting the San Juan Generating Station with carbon capture technology would cost $1.3 billion more than its preferred long-term scenario. (Utility Dive)
ALSO: Montana’s utility regulator has “significant doubt” that the Colstrip Power Plant would burn more than a few more years and warned NorthWestern Energy to prepare to exit. (Billings Gazette)
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OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico joins a group of state agencies and tribal nations aiming to increase the market reach of American natural gas. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• A Navajo Nation pilot program will convert methane into hydrogen, reducing emissions from an oil field in San Juan County, New Mexico. (Deseret News)
• Colorado officials say a benzene spike measured in the air near a Greeley elementary school likely came from nearby oil and gas operations; further testing will be done. (Colorado Independent, Greeley Tribune)
CALIFORNIA:
• PG&E’s latest filing with state regulators suggests its system remains vulnerable to wildfire risk despite ongoing and expensive upgrades. (Utility Dive)
• The developer of a 10 MW battery storage project alleges PG&E breached its agreement and wants its 20-year contract cancelled. (S&P Global)
• Low-income Californians continue to struggle with hunger and financial difficulties in the aftermath of PG&E’s blackouts last month. (Mercury News)
• PG&E confirms its customer credit for the chaotic October 9 shut-off was a one-off; there are no plans to refund customers for the Oct. 23, 26, 29 and Nov. 20 outages. (Mercury News)
HYDROPOWER: Arizona tribes object to proposals to dam a Colorado River tributary in northern Arizona for hydropower. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: Montana utility regulators reject NorthWestern Energy’s plans to increase rates for customers who net meter solar power. (Billings Gazette)
EFFICIENCY: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak orders state agencies to submit plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across multiple sectors of the economy by December 2020. (Utility Dive)
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SOLAR: Hawaiian Electric Company’s completed 20-megawatt West Loch solar project is set to go online and will save customers at least $109 million over its expected 25-year lifespan. (Pacific Business News, subscription)
COMMENTARY:
• A Utah editorial board says the state should drive down air pollution by offering incentives to companies to replace older large diesel trucks with those using “clean diesel.” (Deseret News)
• An Alaskan climate advocate says burning fossil fuels does not have a future and more thought about the transition to other sources of energy is necessary. (Anchorage Daily News)
• A California assemblyman says state Democrats can speed up improvements to PG&E’s antiquated system by changing government policies. (CALmatters)