SOLAR: Utah solar advocates plan to challenge a regulatory decision last week to lower utility compensation for solar power, saying it will be “difficult, if not impossible” to project customers’ savings under new rules. (Salt Lake Tribune)

ALSO: A new solar farm in eastern Washington includes the state’s first utility-scale energy storage facility and will serve as a research and worker training center. (Tri-City Herald)

***SPONSORED LINK: The New England Energy Summit, Nov. 16, 23 and 30 will bring together industry leaders, end users and policymakers to address emerging issues and engage in impactful discussion. Featuring keynote speakers Ernest J. Moniz and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Register at newenglandenergysummit.com .***

COAL: Peabody’s 39% decline in revenue between July and September is the latest troubling sign of the Powder River Basin’s uncertain future. (Casper Star-Tribune) 

HYDROPOWER:
• A Washington tribe and utility agree that a dam that has not generated electricity since 1958 needs to come down, and are taking new steps to do so after more than a decade of obstacles. (Seattle Times)
• PG&E is selling a Central California hydro project because it is no longer an economical source of electricity for ratepayers. (KMPH)

UTILITIES:
• Critics say if PG&E inspected, maintained, and replaced its aging equipment its public safety power shutoffs would not be necessary. (Bay Area News Group)
• Southern California Gas Co. says that claims it has deliberately undermined California’s energy efficiency goals are “demonstrably wrong,” and a $255 million penalty request against the utility is without merit. (Utility Dive)
• Cal Fire is investigating PG&E for failing to get permits for its timber clearing operations. (KSBW)

OIL & GAS: The possible shift in national energy policy under the Biden administration has Permian Basin communities worried about the local and statewide economic impact of restricted oil and gas activity. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

EFFICIENCY:
• Four Western states are part of a coalition suing the Department of Energy for failing to update efficiency standards for appliances and other products. (Courthouse News Service)
• Oregon schools have saved $7.4 million on energy costs by improving energy efficiency. (Education Dive)

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NUCLEAR: Diablo Canyon Power Plant Unit 1 is back to 100% power now that PG&E has completed a number of maintenance projects. (KEYT)

COMMENTARY:
• A California solar energy advocate says the state needs more storage and renewable energy investments to prevent blackouts. (Energy News Network)
• A Montana lawmaker says NorthWestern Energy’s decision to shift from coal-powered electricity to natural gas and renewable energy was the right thing to do. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
• A New Mexico oil industry trade group official says out-of-state environmental groups are pressuring the state to reduce or completely drop its low-emission exemption for low-producing stripper wells. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).