OIL & GAS: Efforts to disentangle an oil-rich California county from fossil fuel revenues could provide a model — or cautionary tale — for a national energy transition. (New York Times)
ALSO: The Biden administration rejects environmentalists’ challenges to a permit for a proposed railway that would carry oil from Utah’s Uinta Basin to Gulf Coast refineries, paving the way for construction to begin as soon as next year. (news release)
GRID: Hawaii’s utility plans to use demand response and distributed generation to make up for delayed and canceled renewable energy projects after it shutters the state’s last coal plant in September. (Utility Dive)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Eight Western states plan to develop the nation’s largest electric vehicle charging network that would reach into rural areas. (Town Lift)
• New Mexico lawmakers consider implementing a road usage fee to offset declining gasoline tax revenues. (KRQE)
• Idaho transportation officials seek public input on where to locate electric vehicle charging stations. (Boise State Public Radio)
CLEAN ENERGY: The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming releases a mapping tool aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of renewable energy development by directing it to already disturbed sites. (Casper Star-Tribune)
SOLAR:
• A Wyoming county approves a proposal to construct a 240 MW solar-plus-storage facility on private land. (Oil City News)
• A Nevada company plans to build a 20 MW solar installation on contaminated land to power its copper and molybdenum mine. (Pahrump Valley Times)
• New Mexico researchers use solar power instead of propane to roast green chiles, the state’s iconic crop. (KRQE)
WIND: The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians passes a resolution opposing offshore wind development along Oregon’s coast if it threatens tribal resources. (Newport News Times)
LITHIUM:
• Electric vehicle battery manufacturer LG agrees to purchase up to 40% of its lithium from an extraction project under development at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. (PV Magazine)
• University of Arizona researchers work to develop a lithium-free, organic-based battery for grid-scale energy storage. (Tucson Sentinel)
HYDROGEN: Wyoming releases a five-year plan to develop green and blue hydrogen production facilities in the state. (Casper Star-Tribune)
CLIMATE: Hawaii Gov. David Ige signs four clean energy bills that set new emissions limits and incentivize energy efficiency measures and the installation of hydrogen fueling systems. (Hawaii News Now)
NUCLEAR: Pacific Gas & Electric officials say they will apply for federal funds to continue operating the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant beyond its scheduled 2025 retirement. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
COMMENTARY: A Nevada professor urges state and local governments to fight climate change by adopting building codes that mandate energy efficiency for large structures. (Nevada Independent)
More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West