LITHIUM: Conservationists seek an emergency court order that would block work at the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada after a judge allowed construction to proceed while federal land managers revisit their approval. (Associated Press)
ALSO: The developer of a proposed lithium brine project in southeastern Utah says the pipelines from wells to the extraction facility could generate up to 7 MW of hydropower. (Mining Weekly)
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OIL & GAS:
• Utah advocates push back against a proposal to expand an oil-hauling road out of the Uinta Basin, saying it would endanger ancient rock art in Nine Mile Canyon. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• A California lawmaker urges labor unions to back proposed legislation that would divest public pensions from the oil and gas industry after a similar bill was killed last year. (Bloomberg Law)
GRID: High winds topple power lines and trees in northern California, leaving more than 172,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers without power. (Los Angeles Times)
NUCLEAR:
• Indigenous and environmental advocates worry a uranium mining resurgence in Western states will add to the harmful legacy the industry left on landscapes and in communities after the Cold War. (Lee Enterprises)
• California startup Oklo eyes Wyoming as a possible site for its proposed fast nuclear reactor. (Cowboy State Daily)
• Washington lawmakers advance a bill that would classify advanced nuclear reactor technology as an acceptable fossil fuel replacement source. (RTO Insider, subscription)
EFFICIENCY: Utah’s largest homebuilder plans to install heat pumps and smart thermostats in all new homes as part of an effort to increase energy efficiency. (Salt Lake Tribune)
CLEAN ENERGY: Washington state lawmakers consider a bill that would identify possible clean energy sites and create a council to evaluate proposed solar and wind projects. (Columbia Basin Herald)
SOLAR:
• San Francisco tests a web-based application aimed at streamlining residential rooftop solar permitting. (Solar Builder)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on a proposed 200 MW solar project northeast of Las Vegas. (news release)
• Researchers find a California incentive program boosted residential solar system installation rates well above the national average. (RTO Insider, subscription)
WIND: A California study finds a proposed offshore wind turbine facility in San Luis Obispo County might not be economically feasible because it would require the construction of 1,500-foot wharves. (Paso Robles Daily News)
STORAGE: Developers bring two battery energy storage installations totaling 227 MW online in southern California. (Power Engineering)
UTILITIES:
• Energy analysts say a combination of global market forces, cold temperatures and supply chain constraints caused winter natural gas price spikes in the Western U.S. (E&E News)
• New Mexico’s auditor plans to investigate a city’s natural gas utility after widespread complaints about skyrocketing bills. (KRQE)
• Puget Sound Energy urges Washington state lawmakers to pass legislation that would give the utility greater control over wind and solar power installations and require it to stop offering natural gas hookups beginning in 2026. (Seattle Times)
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