GRID: Developers of a $1 billion energy storage project in Montana say they have reached a financing agreement that could enable work to begin next year. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• Colorado is taking a more comprehensive approach to oversee how utilities develop the grid, to focus on cost-effectiveness. (Energy News Network)
• A “dynamic load bank” is helping manage excess solar energy on Maui’s grid. (news release)
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CLIMATE: A report finds Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions are declining for the first time. (Denver Post)
OIL: Chevron says a leak that has spilled nearly 800,000 gallons of oil and water into a California canyon has been stopped. (Los Angeles Times)
NATURAL GAS: Oregon officials say a federal review of a proposed natural gas export facility is inadequate. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
WIND: Plans for a 250 MW wind farm in New Mexico are moving forward after developers win a bid for state trust land. (Denver Post)
COAL: New Mexico’s governor pledges $40 million for communities affected by the closure of a coal plant. (Farmington Daily Times)
RENEWABLES:
• The Navajo Nation Council this week will consider a bill that would rescind the tribe’s current energy policy and replace it with one focused on clean energy. (Farmington Daily Times)
• Officials in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, are exploring ways to expand the town’s renewable energy use. (Steamboat Pilot & Today)
NUCLEAR: Firms with interests in Western uranium mining see stock prices fall as President Trump rejects a proposal to require domestic quotas. (Salt Lake Tribune)
EFFICIENCY: A new school building in Colorado is being built without a natural gas connection in order to reduce its carbon footprint. (Mountain Town News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An Arizona utility is planning to spend $8 million on electric vehicle charging infrastructure after a statewide plan is approved by regulators. (Arizona Daily Star)
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TECHNOLOGY: Utah scientists have developed a device they say will improve the efficiency of solar panels by taking advantage of waste heat. (PV Magazine)
COMMENTARY:
• An Oregon lawmaker reflects on Republicans’ walkout over a climate bill and what it means for the future. (Mail Tribune)
• Economics, not regulation, are why coal plants are closing. (Yale Climate Connection)