Western Energy News is one of five regional services published by the Energy News Network. Today’s edition was compiled by Jonathan Thompson.
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Editor’s note: Some readers in other regions were mistakenly sent this morning’s edition of Southeast Energy News. We apologize for the additional email.
CLEAN ENERGY: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee vetoes a bill that would have given residents of the eastern part of the state more input on wind and solar facility siting and permitting. (Tri-City Herald)
OIL & GAS:
• The Biden administration’s push to increase natural gas exports to Europe gives a boost to a controversial $38 billion Alaska LNG export terminal and pipeline project proposal. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management extends the public comment period on its plan to halt oil and gas leasing around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. (NM Political Report)
• Federal officials expect a 500-acre oil and gas lease sale in Southeast New Mexico to go forward later this year. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Officials say no one was injured in a Montana ExxonMobil petroleum refinery explosion on Saturday night. (Montana Standard)
CARBON CAPTURE: An analysis finds an ExxonMobil carbon capture facility in Wyoming has sequestered just 3% of the captured carbon while venting or selling the rest for enhanced oil recovery. (IEEFA)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs a $17 billion transportation bill with funding for public transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects and electrifying the state’s ferry fleet. (Spokesman-Review)
• Teslas hikes prices on all of its car models, making them ineligible for California electric vehicle rebates. (Forbes)
NUCLEAR:
• Indigenous and environmental advocates say proposals to ban Russian uranium imports and revive the domestic mining industry pose environmental and spiritual threats to tribal nations. (Guardian)
• TerraPower cuts ties with Russian reactor fuel supplier Tenex, potentially delaying plans to construct an advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming.
(WyoFile)
SOLAR: A think tank analysis finds California would have to add 10 GW solar and 5 GW battery storage each year — double the highest annual rate thus far — to reach 100% renewable power by 2035. (PV Magazine)
GRID:
• Northwest energy officials say inadequate high-voltage transmission capacity could hamper the region’s ability to reach clean energy goals. (Columbia Insight)
• A mylar balloon tangled in utility lines takes out power to 2,600 homes in Santa Clara, California, while a squirrel jumping on lines left 26,000 without electricity in the southern part of the state. (NBC Bay Area, CBS Los Angeles)
COAL: New Mexico environmentalists and consumer advocates call on regulators to order the state’s largest utility immediately to reduce consumer rates when it closes a coal power plant later this year. (Associated Press)
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