LITHIUM: Lawyers representing environmentalists and tribal nations urge a U.S. appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision allowing construction to begin on the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES:
• New Mexico advocates criticize utility regulators for reducing the number of open meetings and increasing closed-door sessions, saying they are trying to avoid public scrutiny. (Utility Dive)
• The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power votes to halt power shut-offs due to nonpayment during extreme weather events. (Los Angeles Times)
• More than 80% of San Diego Gas and Electric customers now purchase power from community choice aggregators, fundamentally changing the utility’s role. (KPBS)
OIL & GAS:
• A company plans to expand a natural gas processing facility in the Permian Basin to meet growing demand and regional production of the fuel. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• A New Mexico county in the Permian Basin expects to bring in more than $100 million in oil and gas tax revenue this fiscal year, breaking previous records. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• An Alaska lawmaker calls on regulators to investigate an oil and gas company operating in the Cook Inlet over potentially reneging on obligations to supply utilities with natural gas. (KTUU)
• Environmental advocates say a recent train derailment into the Yellowstone River in Montana highlights the risks of a proposed railway in Utah that would send oil-laden trains alongside the Colorado River. (Common Dreams)
TRANSPORTATION:
• California lawmakers agree on a 2023-24 budget allocating $5.1 billion for public transit over four years, potentially saving the agencies from falling off a “fiscal cliff.” (Los Angeles Times)
• Utah transit agencies receive more than $24 million in federal funds to transition diesel buses to compressed natural gas and redevelop bus stops. (Deseret News)
• Honolulu’s transit agency receives a $20 million federal grant to purchase seven all-electric buses and expand charging capacity. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Washington state considers mandating Tesla’s North American Charging Standard for all federal- and state-funded electric vehicle chargers. (Teslarati)
• An advocacy group predicts Arizona’s local and state governments could save $238 million by transitioning light-duty fleets to electric vehicles. (Arizona Republic)
BATTERIES: Southern California Edison agrees to purchase power from a 126 MW battery energy storage system in the Antelope Valley. (Solar Industry)
ELECTRIFICATION:
• A Colorado startup develops an electric-powered heat-pump boiler that can generate steam for industrial process heat applications. (Canary Media)
• Opponents of an Oregon city’s proposed natural gas hookup ban step up their gas utility-funded campaign in advance of a November vote on the issue. (KLCC)
• A corporation plans to invest $1 billion to expand and extend the life of its Utah copper mine to meet electrification’s growing demand for the metal. (Salt Lake Tribune, subscription)
COAL: Arizona utilities award $100,000 in economic development grants to four communities affected by coal plant closures. (news release)
GEOTHERMAL: The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on the proposed Crescent Valley 30 MW geothermal project in northern Nevada. (news release)
More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West