SOLAR: The federal Bureau of Land Management green-lights construction of the 500 MW Oberon solar project in an area in southern California designated for renewable energy development. (E&E News)
OIL & GAS:
• The U.S. EPA considers tightening regulations on oil and gas facilities in parts of the Permian Basin that frequently exceed federal ozone pollution limits. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• New Mexico regulators say a policy limiting underground wastewater injections aimed at reducing oil and gas related earthquakes has been successful. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Colorado environmentalists urge regulators to reject an oil refinery’s proposal to increase emissions of toxic pollutants by 90 tons annually. (Denver Post)
• Partisan debate erupts over the Biden administration’s draft offshore drilling plan, with Senate Democrats saying it doesn’t do enough to fight climate change and Republicans arguing it offers too few lease sales in Alaska. (Idaho Capital Sun)
• Alaska energy officials begin negotiations to secure a natural gas supply for a proposed LNG pipeline and export terminal. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
NUCLEAR: Federal regulators, finding no environmental concerns, recommend approval of a spent nuclear fuel repository proposed for southeastern New Mexico pending a review of the developers’ human safety plans. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
GRID:
• Western utility officials say the proposed $8 billion Energy Gateway transmission network stretching from Wyoming to California is critical to decarbonizing the grid. (E&E News)
• An Arizona city amends rules prohibiting overhead power lines in certain areas, potentially opening the door to the construction of a high-voltage transmission line through central Tucson. (Arizona Daily Star)
ENERGY STORAGE: California regulators begin the certification process for a proposed 500 MW compressed-air energy storage facility that would be the world’s largest of its kind. (Courthouse News)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Tesla plans to close its San Mateo, California, office and lay off 229 employees. (ABC7 News)
• New Mexico discounts fares and adds more trains to a commuter line between Santa Fe and Albuquerque as ridership climbs due to high gasoline prices. (Albuquerque Journal)
LITHIUM: Hualapai Tribe officials push back against a lithium mine proposed for western Arizona, saying it threatens water supplies and cultural sites. (Phoenix New Times)
COAL: A federal judge orders Talen Energy to produce a plan for the Colstrip coal power plant in Montana that ensures the company’s bankruptcy proceedings don’t disrupt the plant’s other owners’ operations. (Montana Standard)
WIND: A renewable energy developer brings a 145 MW wind power project in northern Colorado online. (Renewables Now)
BIOFUELS: A California energy company plans to revamp an idled biomass power plant into a carbon capture-equipped facility that produces methane from agricultural waste. (Renewables Now)
CLIMATE: A poll commissioned by a conservation group finds 74% of Colorado voters think national leaders aren’t doing enough to reverse the effects of climate change. (Longmont Times-Call)
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