Discover the Latest News and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future

WIND: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee greenlights the proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind facility in the southern part of the state and urges regulators to streamline turbine permitting, saying it is essential to meeting “urgent clean energy needs.” (Seattle Times)

‍

UTILITIES:

• New Mexico regulators prepare to consider the state’s largest utility’s proposed rate hike, which centers around the aging Four Corners coal plant’s accelerated retirement, refinancing and maintenance costs. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Oregon wineries file a lawsuit seeking to hold PacifiCorp liable for smoke damage resulting from 2020 wildfires allegedly sparked by the utility’s equipment. (KOIN)
• Pacific Gas & Electric warns northern California customers of potential public safety power outages this week as high winds and dry conditions elevate wildfire risk. (Fresno Bee)

‍

GRID:

• Oregon officials say electrical equipment supply constraints have lengthened developments’ grid interconnection times, delaying and otherwise hampering affordable housing projects. (OPB)
• The Bonneville Power Administration continues to favor SPP’s day-ahead power market even though analyses predict greater benefits from the California grid operator’s plan. (RTO Insider, subscription)

‍

CLEAN ENERGY:

• An analysis finds 66% of new U.S. clean energy capacity has been built in Republican-dominated regions since early 2023, including the 910 MW of solar-plus-storage added in Pinal County, Arizona. (Cleanview)
• Washington state and the Cowlitz Tribe agree to continue working together to expand the tribal nation’s clean energy portfolio. (Chronicle)

‍

CLIMATE:

• A California startup builds a direct air carbon capture module manufacturing facility in Arizona, joining several climate technology firms operating in the state. (Arizona Daily Star)
• Oregon agrees to limit logging on an 83,000-acre state forest for 40 years and improve management to bolster its carbon capture and sequestration potential in exchange for greenhouse gas credits. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Advocates criticize U.S. Senate candidates in Arizona for focusing on drought and immigration while largely ignoring climate change, an underlying cause of both phenomena. (Inside Climate News)

‍

OIL & GAS: A judge orders a New Mexico oil and gas operator to pay the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Tribe and federal government more than $3.55 million in lost royalties after she submitted fraudulent drilling production records. (news release)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Denver Police Department adds 27 electric bicycles to its patrol fleet. (KDVR)

‍

POLITICS: Colorado advocates say Chevron’s support for an election-reform ballot measure is aimed at increasing corporate influence in politics and electing candidates weak on environmental policy. (CPR)

‍

COMMENTARY:

• A Colorado energy journalist predicts a second Trump administration would not significantly stifle the state’s energy transition, saying the “train has already left the station.” (Big Pivots)
• A California researcher urges state regulators to incorporate new satellite-monitored methane emissions data into future decision making related to the low carbon fuel standard. (CEPP’s Substack)

‍

UTILITIES: North Carolina regulators approve Duke Energy’s long-term resource plan, which ramps up renewable energy and retires the utility’s final coal plants, but also includes 9 GW of new natural gas-fired power and gives up on the state-mandated goal of cutting emissions 70% by 2030. (Energy News Network)

‍

ALSO:

• CenterPoint Energy hires a senior executive to revamp its emergency preparedness after the utility was widely criticized for its response to Hurricane Beryl and related outages in Houston. (Houston Chronicle)
• Duke Energy officials say they’ll ask regulators to let them issue bonds to pay for Hurricane Helene and other storm-related costs, which will likely result in higher bills for customers. (WRA)

‍

SOLAR: New solar installations in North Carolina fell 40% from last year after Duke Energy lowered the rate it pays for rooftop solar, but longtime installers remain optimistic because of new home battery incentives. (Energy News Network)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric vehicle startup Canoo furloughs 30 workers in Oklahoma as it struggles to raise capital, and company officials report it might have to “terminate or significantly curtail” its operations there. (Tulsa World)

‍

WIND: Members of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma say they’re worried about potential environmental and property value impacts from a proposed 100-turbine wind farm. (KOKI)

‍

PIPELINES: Anti-pipeline activists who spent the last decade fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline turn their efforts to blocking a 26-mile project in Virginia that’s part of a broader Southeast expansion. (WVTF)

‍

STORAGE: A startup receives $20 million in federal funding to build a Texas factory for containers that hold used electric vehicle batteries that can be assembled for stationary energy storage. (Canary Media)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• A company withdraws its application to build a 3,500 MW gas-fired power plant and accompanying data center complex in Virginia after county supervisors said they’ll vote it down, but it plans to rework the project and reapply. (Danville Register & Bee, Cardinal News)
• Texas regulators request $100 million in state emergency funding to address problems related to uncapped wells and oil field wastewater, including multiple leaks and the eruption of a 100-foot geyser in a region where earthquakes have been linked to wastewater injection. (Houston Chronicle)

‍

GRID: A Tennessee man faces federal charges for allegedly planning to damage an electrical substation in Nashville with a drone armed with explosives. (CNN)

‍

CLIMATE:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority reports that Hurricane Helene dumped two months’ worth of rainfall in three days on western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, but flood mitigation strategies prevented roughly $406 million of potential damage. (Citizen Tribune, Kingsport TimesNews)
• As the Biden administration prepares to distribute $2.3 billion to people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, research shows the system for distributing relief money exacerbates historical divides over race, education and homeownership. (Inside Climate News)

‍

POLITICS: Virginia Congress members call for reauthorization of the landmark 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, which funded abandoned mine land restoration, accelerated the energy transition and paid for transportation projects. (Virginia Mercury)

‍

COMMENTARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority owes an apology to the families of more than 50 workers who helped clean up the utility’s 2008 coal-ash spill in Tennessee and have since died from illnesses related to their exposure, writes a columnist. (Knoxville News Sentinel)

‍

ELECTIONS: Rhode Island voters approve a $53 million green economy bond bill, which includes $15 million to help develop the Port of Davisville into an offshore wind hub. (Rhode Island Current)

‍

ALSO: Control of the Pennsylvania state House and Senate is still up in the air as of this morning; if Democrats hold on to the House majority and flip the Senate, which is unlikely, it could be good news for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s plans for a carbon cap-and-trade system. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An unexpected surge in electric vehicle sales in Maine has drained the state’s $3.5 million incentive fund, though low-income buyers are still eligible for rebates. (Maine Public)

‍

OFFSHORE WIND: Turbine blades spotted in transit off the Massachusetts coast are part of a plan to strengthen some of Vineyard Wind’s turbines, after a blade broke and fell into the water in July. (New Bedford Standard-Times)

‍

TRANSMISSION: Preliminary work has begun along the path of a 70-mile transmission line in Maryland, even as opposition remains high and opponents say they will continue to fight the project. (Baltimore Sun, subscription)

‍

NUCLEAR: The owner of Three Mile Island forges ahead with plans to reopen the plant and sell power to Microsoft, following federal regulators’ rejection last week of another plan to colocate a data center at a nuclear plant. (Utility Dive)

‍

GRID: In central Massachusetts, National Grid gets approval for new and upgraded substations and power lines intended to accommodate greater use of solar and energy storage. (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

‍

SOLAR: In western Massachusetts, a growing number of agrivoltaic projects showcase the commercial potential of installing solar panels on active farmland. (Christian Science Monitor)

‍

COMMENTARY: New York’s plan to require increasing electric truck sales promises significant health benefits, particularly in low-income communities of color, and should not be delayed despite vocal opposition, says an  environmental justice advocate. (Streetsblog NYC)

‍

ELECTION: Washington voters reject a ballot measure that would have repealed the state’s landmark 2021 cap-and-invest program. (Washington State Standard)

‍

ALSO:

• A Washington measure to repeal restrictions on natural gas and prevent cities from banning the fuel in buildings appears poised to narrowly pass. (Washington State Standard)
• California voters approve a measure to authorize $10 billion in debt to spend on environmental and climate projects. (CalMatters)
• Fossil fuel-friendly Republicans lead in the race for three open seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission, potentially dealing a blow to clean energy. (AZPM)
• In a race for one of Arizona’s U.S. Senate seats, Democrat Ruben Gallego leads Republican Kari Lake, a pro-fossil fuel development candidate and climate change skeptic. (Associated Press)
• Independent candidate Elena Evans, who tapped into public outrage over a recent rate increase, is leading in her race for a seat on Montana’s Public Service Commission. Republican candidates Brad Molnar, Jeff Welborn, are also on track to win their races. (Daily Montanan)
• Honolulu voters pass an initiative to dedicate a portion of property tax revenues to climate change mitigation and clean energy development. (Hawaii Civil Beat, state elections board)
• New Mexico voters re-elect Democrat U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez in the congressional district that includes the Permian Basin. (New Mexico Political Report)

‍

GRID:

• Tribal nations worry the second Trump administration will kill funding for efforts to bring clean power to off-grid reservation homes. (E&E News)
• San Diego Gas & Electric warns nearly 25,000 southern California customers it plans power outages this week to reduce wildfire hazard during dry, windy conditions. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A California startup runs a low-speed demonstration of its solar-powered electric vehicle. (PV Magazine)

‍

NUCLEAR: Xcel Energy officials consider deploying small modular nuclear reactors in Colorado to replace fossil fuel generation and meet expected long-term power demand growth. (Aurora Sentinel)

‍

BIOFUELS: A firm begins construction on a California facility designed to convert landfill gas to pipeline-grade methane fuel. (news release)

‍

MICROGRIDS: California officials look to improve a state-funded program aimed at developing clean energy-powered microgrids on tribal land. (RTO Insider, subscription)

‍

CLIMATE: Oregon researchers work to develop seaweed-based cattle feed designed to reduce livestock’s methane emissions. (OPB)

‍

COMMENTARY: A Colorado county commissioner says a $2.5 billion federal grant will help Tri-State Generation transition away from coal, curb planet-warming emissions and reduce utility bills. (Colorado Sun)

‍

CLEAN ENERGY: The Biden administration awards Tri-State Generation $2.5 billion in loans and grants to retire existing coal plants and develop and acquire new clean energy capacity for its member cooperatives in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. (Colorado Sun)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A nonprofit “green bank” launches a $250 million financing program to purchase about 500 electric trucks for freight companies serving the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports. (Canary Media)

‍

LITHIUM: The U.S. Energy Department finalizes a $2.26 billion loan to the controversial Thacker Pass lithium mine under development in Nevada as part of the Biden administration’s effort to bolster the domestic battery supply chain. (Reuters)

‍

UTILITIES:

• Oregon regulators order NW Natural to phase out gas hookup and line extension subsidies by November 2027, saying the move could reduce utility bills and slow gas infrastructure buildout. (OPB)
• A multi-agency electrification program says it has hooked nearly 900 Navajo Nation homes to the grid since launching in 2019, with another 10,400 remaining. (Associated Press)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Colorado elected officials urge the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a lower court’s decision to overturn a proposed Utah oil-hauling railway’s federal approval, saying the trains endanger communities along the route. (Colorado Newsline)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom directs regulators to consider requiring refiners to increase ethanol blending in gasoline, claiming it could lower fuel prices without increasing emissions. (news release)
• Activist and actress Jane Fonda urges Colorado residents and advocates to continue their fight for tighter regulations on a Denver-area petroleum refinery and other polluters. (Colorado Sun)

‍

COAL:

• Xcel Energy proposes adding 14,000 MW of wind, solar, natural gas and battery storage capacity by 2031 and considers nuclear for the long-term to replace a retiring Colorado coal plant and meet predicted demand growth. (Pueblo Chieftain)
• Colorado regulators seek public input on Xcel Energy’s plan to remediate coal ash repositories and associated groundwater contamination at its shuttered Valmont plant near Boulder. (Daily Camera)

‍

SOLAR: An Oregon farm launches an agrivoltaics project consisting of a mobile tracking solar-plus-storage array that shades cool-weather crops from climate change-driven heat. (Microgrid Knowledge)

‍

BATTERIES: A developer brings an 80 MW battery energy storage system online in California’s Central Valley. (news release)

‍

POLITICS: Observers say Nevada’s debates over clean energy development and lithium mining are not falling along political lines and are unlikely to affect voters’ choice for president. (E&E News)

‍

NUCLEAR: A mining company’s proposed uranium mill in an economically depressed Utah town shows little progress even though commodity prices remain high. (Salt Lake Tribune)

‍

SOLAR: A coalition of solar developers say they’ll lobby Virginia lawmakers to restrict local bans against such projects, spotlighting the local rejection of 33 utility-scale facilities totaling 3,236 MW over the past year and a half. (Virginia Mercury)

‍

PIPELINES:

• Pipeline operator Williams submits an application to federal regulators for a 54-mile natural gas pipeline in North Carolina and Virginia that’s part of a planned gas infrastructure buildout across the Southeast. (Augusta Free Press)
• West Virginia regulators approve rate hikes for two gas utilities to replace and expand their pipeline networks. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Dozens of Virginia residents speak out against a company’s plans to build a 3,500 MW gas-fired power plant to power a planned data center campus. (Danville Register & Bee)
• Opponents of Dominion Energy’s planned gas-fired power plant in central Virginia hold a “people’s hearing” after a local county board failed to schedule a public hearing on the project. (WRIC)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Florida electric vehicle owners tout how they provided backup power and didn’t use scarce fuel supplies during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Florida Politics)
• A new report finds Tennessee ranks high for anticipated jobs and investment from electric vehicle and battery makers, and is making gains on charger installation even though it still lags other states. (Tennessee Lookout, WKRN)

‍

GRID:

• A federal judge rejects a Texas law that restricts the construction and operation of new transmission lines to companies already running such facilities in the state, finding it unfairly restricts interstate commerce. (Reuters)
• Three boards in a Florida city vote to approve a $9.3 million project to bury power lines after Hurricane Milton knocked out power for three days. (TC Palm)
• A Virginia county board approves a $2.7 billion data center campus, which will require Dominion Energy to install a new substation and power lines. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

‍

FINANCE: Memphis, Tennessee, launches a “green bank” to fund energy efficiency, green infrastructure and renewable energy projects. (WREG)

‍

OVERSIGHT: Critics complain that West Virginia officials scheduled meetings about a proposed ranking system for plugging gas wells and the planned Appalachian hydrogen hub at the same time, preventing concerned residents from attending both. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

‍

EMISSIONS:

• The Biden administration announces funding for 55 projects to reduce emissions at ports, including in Georgia and Virginia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription; Virginia Mercury)
• New data shows that West Virginia ranks 12th in the U.S. for greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, with 70% of that coming from electricity generation. (West Virginia Watch)

‍

CLIMATE: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has paid out more than $190 million so far to individuals in North Carolina for damage from Hurricane Helene, while thousands of Virginia residents and businesses apply for more. (Asheville Watchdog, Bristol Herald Courier)

‍

UTILITIES: Florida Power & Light asks state regulators for a rate hike to recover $1.2 billion in costs for restoring power after hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, and to replenish a storm fund. (News Service of Florida)

‍

FOSSIL FUELS: West Virginia’s coal and gas leaders discuss ways to grow the market for their products at an energy conference, while the state’s Republican candidate for governor promises to fight federal regulation. (WV Metro News, Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

‍

OFFSHORE WIND: Four offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine net nearly $22 million at auction, but four more parcels go unclaimed as the wind industry slows. (Maine Public)

‍

ALSO:

• The U.S. Department of Defense and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management agree to work together to minimize issues caused by the competing needs of offshore wind and military activity, such as recent delays to a project off Maryland. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• The offshore wind industry needs to push back against opponents along the East coast who are spreading deliberate misinformation and unsubstantiated claims, industry leaders say. (Associated Press)

‍

HYDRO: Massachusetts consumers will pay an additional $521 million to help cover construction delays on a transmission line intended to import hydropower from Canada, though developers say the project should eventually yield savings.  (CommonWealth Beacon)

‍

STORAGE: A solar company and a utility partner to provide free batteries to more than 300 New York homes with solar panels to help clean up the grid at times of peak demand. (Canary Media)

‍

CLIMATE: Massachusetts’ long-awaited climate bill stalls again, as the state House speaker announces plans to delay a vote until a new formal session is convened. (CommonWealth Beacon)

‍

TRANSPORTATION: Philadelphia’s port authority receives $77.6 million in federal funds for electric cargo-moving equipment, sharing in the $3 billion Clean Ports grant program. (WHYY)

‍

POLITICS:

• A Democrat running for attorney general in Pennsylvania declines to support lawsuits against fossil fuel companies such as one filed by Bucks County seeking payment for the damages caused by climate change. (E&E News, subscription)
• A congressional race in Pennsylvania between an incumbent who wants to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and his Democratic challenger could be pivotal for future clean energy policy. (The Hill)
• The two candidates in New Hampshire’s toss-up gubernatorial race have sharply differing views on electric vehicle subsidies and the importance of offshore wind. (E&E News, subscription)

‍

SOLAR: Pennsylvania launches a $25 million grant program to help schools install solar panels to reduce energy expenses. (ABC27)

‍

TRANSPORTATION: California regulators partner with a commercial airline trade group in an effort to increase the availability of sustainable aviation fuels. (Associated Press)

‍

ALSO:

• The Biden administration awards a northwestern New Mexico coal and oil and gas community $4 million for a proposed freight rail project, which local officials say will help wean the economy off fossil fuels. (New Mexico Political Report)
• Elon Musk’s Tesla backs California’s electric vehicle-boosting low-carbon fuel standard, which Donald Trump vows to dismantle if he’s re-elected. (Politico)

‍

HYDROGEN: The U.S. EPA awards Hawaii $59.2 million for hydrogen-fueled tractors and a fueling station at shipping ports. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, subscription)

‍

SOLAR:

• Denver Public Schools reflects on using power purchase agreements to install 9.5 MW of rooftop solar on its facilities and becoming a model for other districts. (Canary Media)
• Drought-plagued farmers in California’s Central Valley plan to replace some 200 square miles of water-intensive crops with utility-scale solar installations. (Politico)
• A southern California nonprofit helps a medical clinic fund a solar-plus-battery storage array to replace backup power diesel generators. (KCLU)
• A developer brings the 179 MW White Wing Ranch solar project online on private land in southwestern Arizona. (Solar Industry)
• A developer finishes construction on the 44 MW Camino solar project next to its wind power facility in California. (news release)
• Arizona Public Service signs on to purchase 1,800 MWh of battery energy storage capacity and 150 MW of solar power from facilities under development in the central part of the state. (news release)

‍

WIND: Oregon officials invite the public to help develop an “offshore wind energy roadmap” after widespread opposition to proposed development along the state’s southern coast prompted a federal agency to cancel a lease sale. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

‍

CLEAN ENERGY: Wyoming lawmakers kill legislation that would have restricted the use of eminent domain to acquire land for utility-scale carbon capture, wind and solar projects, worrying it could hamper enhanced oil recovery plans. (Cowboy State Daily)

‍

EFFICIENCY: The Biden administration awards Colorado’s weatherization assistance program $7.6 million for electric heat pumps and efficiency upgrades for low-income residents. (Colorado Newsline)

‍

UTILITIES:

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom orders regulators to look for ways to stabilize or lower utility bills. (Los Angeles Times)
• A Montana irrigation district urges regulators to force NorthWestern Energy to pay more for a proposed small-scale hydroelectricity project’s power. (Montana Free Press)

‍

GRID: The Western Area Power Administration’s Sierra Nevada branch plans to join the California grid operator’s day-ahead regional power market. (RTO insider, subscription)

‍

URANIUM: A firm looks to reopen a long-shuttered uranium mill in Utah even as federal agencies continue to clean up Cold War-era processing facilities in the state. (Salt Lake Tribune)

‍

ELECTRIFICATION: Washington state advocates argue a ballot measure aimed at preemptively banning restrictions on natural gas hookups or appliances would raise utility rates by as much as $150 annually. (Center Square)

‍

SOLAR: A developer begins operation of three side-by-side Texas solar farms totaling 875 MW, sending power to Google in what the company says is the largest solar power purchase it has ever made. (Houston Chronicle, Associated Press)

‍

ALSO:

• Mon Power and Potomac Edison begin operating a West Virginia solar farm built atop an ash disposal site at a former coal-fired power plant. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• The federal government issues more than $2.5 million in grants to develop 13 Arkansas solar farms. (KARK)
• Dominion Energy works with beekeepers as part of its push to incorporate agrivoltaics around its solar farms. (Virginia Mercury)
• Florida Power & Light purchases nearly 350 acres in Miami-Dade County, fueling speculation it may build another solar facility. (The Real Deal)

‍

PIPELINES: West Virginia residents in the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline feel betrayed by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s insistence on forcing completion of the troubled project in exchange for his vote last year on a major climate bill. (Mountain State Spotlight)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Occidental Petroleum invests about $1 billion into a direct air capture plant now under construction in Texas. (Midland Reporter-Telegram)
• A gas company asks West Virginia regulators to approve the conversion of more than 600 farm-tap customers to propane. (WV News)

‍

COAL:

• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s companies owe more than $2 million in delinquent federal mine safety fines, out of a total $17.3 million in fines owed by coal operators across the U.S. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A West Virginia state lawmaker and mine union official discusses how employment in the coal industry has fallen to just 13,000 jobs in the state, due mostly to mechanization and shorter job stints. (WV News)

‍

GRID: Duke Energy turns to helicopters to deliver power poles and other infrastructure to rebuild the power grid in isolated areas after Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. (WLOS)

‍

CLIMATE:

• Increasingly extreme heat in deep south Texas is killing elderly residents, putting a spotlight on the outsized role isolation plays in heat-related deaths. (Inside Climate News/San Antonio Express-News)
• North Carolina officials say Hurricane Helene killed at least 95 people as they near a final death toll that indicates one county had likely overcounted. (Carolina Public Press)

‍

TRANSITION:

• The Appalachian Regional Commission awards nearly $1.9 million to help develop the recreation economies of previously coal-reliant communities near the Monongahela National Forest. (WV Metro News)
• Puerto Rico residents worry about the shifting face of energy after a hurricane wrecked the island’s grid, both in the form of a liquified natural gas terminal that arrived last year and growing fields of solar panels that have redirected the flow of water around agricultural operations. (HuffPost)

‍

POLITICS: Three challengers to an incumbent on Texas’ oil and gas regulatory board call for more transparency and better rule enforcement. (Texas Tribune)

‍

COMMENTARY: Rapid growth of data sectors, Virginia’s commitment to clean energy and the growing pushback against solar farms in rural counties point to a coming showdown in the state legislature, writes an editor. (Cardinal News)

‍

SOLAR: Idaho approves its first ever renewable energy lease on state land and expects the proposed 300 MW solar, wind and storage project to generate up to $2 million annually for the state. (Idaho Press)

‍

ALSO:

• A northern California county approves a proposed 25 MW floating solar array on a wastewater pond. (Press Democrat)
• Residential solar-plus-battery storage installations help some northern California residents weather planned wildfire hazard mitigation outages that left tens of thousands of customers without power last week. (CBS News, Associated Press)

‍

POLICY: Utah lawmakers and regulators look to shape energy policy around an “abundance mindset” that prioritizes increasing energy supplies rather than on developing clean resources or reducing emissions. (Utah News Dispatch)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Colorado residents push back against a proposed 26-well oil and gas drilling project near a Denver-area community, citing the development’s potential interactions with legacy wells. (Capital & Main)
• A Colorado county and advocacy groups urge the U.S. Supreme Court to reject industry’s attempt to revive a proposed Utah oil-hauling rail line, saying it would “dramatically remake” federal environmental law. (Colorado Newsline)
• An Alaska agency considers loaning a petroleum company $50 million to finance five years of drilling in the Cook Inlet and on the Kenai Peninsula in an effort to address a looming natural gas shortage. (Northern Journal)
• Canada begins shipping oil to an Alaska refinery after the Trans Mountain pipeline’s completion opens up new export opportunities. (Bloomberg)

‍

TRIBAL NATIONS: Tribal leaders from Western states hold a summit focused on ways to profit from and participate in the predicted clean energy, carbon capture and critical material mining booms. (Inside Climate News)

‍

GEOTHERMAL: Nevada advocates push back on the federal Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to exempt geothermal exploration from environmental review, saying it will imperil the state’s scarce water resources. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

‍

CLIMATE: A poll finds voters are likely to shoot down a ballot initiative aimed at revoking Washington state’s landmark climate law and associated carbon cap-and-invest program. (King 5)

‍

COAL: A Wyoming lawmaker worries federal regulators will slash a Powder River Basin coal mine’s potential future production by half and imperil dozens of jobs. (Cowboy State Daily)

‍

TRANSPORTATION: Colorado advocates launch a campaign looking to restore passenger rail service to the state’s mountain communities. (Real Vail)

‍

POLITICS: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy attends an oil industry executive’s fundraiser for Donald Trump, fueling speculation he could garner a position in the candidate’s administration if elected. (Northern Journal)

‍