Western Energy News will not be published Monday, June 20 for the Juneteenth holiday. Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back Tuesday.

COAL: Idaho Power proposes to speed its exit from coal by converting its share of a Wyoming coal power plant to natural gas by the end of 2028, six years before the plant is scheduled to close. (Idaho Statesman)

ALSO:
• New Mexico regulators begin rulemaking to limit power plant emissions, potentially halting a plan to keep a coal power plant running for years until a company can install carbon capture equipment. (news release)
• Montana regulators reject a Canadian coal mine’s challenge of a 2020 limit on coal mine selenium pollution, saying it complies with state law and is necessary to protect fish. (Montana Public Radio)

NATURAL GAS:
• An energy company proposes expanding the capacity of a pipeline that carries natural gas from Canada to California even though the region is moving away from the fuel. (Sightline)   
• A southern California mayor urges residents to reduce electricity use during times of peak demand in hopes of convincing the state to close a natural gas fired power plant. (EasyReader & Peninsula)

OIL & GAS: Hawaii energy officials say even though electric utilities are transitioning away from fossil fuels, the state still relies on petroleum for 85% of its total energy needs. (Hawaii Public Radio)

TRANSPORTATION: Colorado’s transportation department aims to reduce traffic and ground-level ozone by expanding its intercity bus service.
(9News)

ELECTRIFICATION:
• A Silicon Valley city plans to decarbonize 95% of its buildings by 2030 by installing heat pumps, solar panels and batteries in about 10,000 structures. (Bloomberg)
• Eugene, Oregon, climate advocates promote electrification and urge city officials to ban natural gas hookups to help meet their goal of decarbonizing buildings by 2045. (Register-Guard)

GEOTHERMAL: The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and conservationists urge a federal appeals court to halt construction on a geothermal project in Nevada, saying it threatens a sacred site and a rare toad. (Nevada Current) 

WIND: Some Idaho residents oppose a 1,000 MW wind facility proposed for the southern part of the state, saying it will harm cattle grazing and wildlife. (Boise State Public Radio)

SOLAR: A Colorado town supports a developer’s plan to construct a utility-scale solar facility to replace generation lost when a coal power plant closes in 2028. (Craig Press)

GRID:
• After a windstorm left 47,000 people without power last year, a Colorado utility upgrades its grid and trains workers to respond more quickly to such events. (The Gazette)
• An Arizona city considers amending its building code to allow a controversial high-voltage transmission line to be built overhead rather than underground. (Arizona Daily Star)

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Jonathan hails from southwestern Colorado and has been writing about the land, cultures, and communities of the Western United States for more than two decades. He compiles the Western Energy News digest. He is the author of three books, a contributing editor at High Country News, and the editor of the Land Desk, an e-newsletter that provides coverage and context on issues critical to the West.