Analysts: Pacific Northwest in danger of near-term power shortfall

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

GRID

• An analysis firm finds the Pacific Northwest grid could face a near-term power shortfall as demand rises faster than new generating resources can be deployed. (Washington State Standard)

• PNGC Power proposes a new combined-cycle natural gas plant in northwest Idaho to help meet growing electricity demand in the Northwest. (KREM)

NUCLEAR

• Colorado Springs Utilities studies the feasibility of integrating advanced nuclear reactors into its power supply. (CPR)

• California startup Oklo partners with NVIDIA and Los Alamos National Laboratories to use AI to help develop advanced nuclear technology. (news release)

• Advocates protest a pro-nuclear energy conference in New Mexico, saying Cold War-era uranium mines and mills must be cleaned up before embarking on an industry ​“renaissance.” (Source NM)

ELECTRIFICATION

• Bend, Oregon’s city council votes not to exempt affordable homes from fees on new natural gas-powered homes, saying all-electric houses are safer and lead to lower energy costs. (The Source)

OVERSIGHT

• Navajo Nation advocates rally to bring attention to a proposed coal mine expansion, a pumped hydropower storage project, and helium extraction on tribal land, saying they threaten scarce water supplies. (Arizona Republic)

POLLUTION

• Colorado regulators implement new rules aimed at reducing benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and other air toxics from refineries and other industrial facilities in an effort to protect low-income communities. (Colorado Sun)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Kern County, California’s planning commission greenlights TerraGen’s proposed 1,400-MW solar-plus-storage project. (KGET)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Tri-State Generation and Transmission restarts its idled Craig 1 coal plant after the Trump administration ordered it to delay its retirement and the Southwest Power Pool said it was needed to meet growing demand on its Western grid. (Colorado Sun)

• Democratic Colorado lawmakers advance legislation that would require coal plants forced by the Trump administration to operate beyond their scheduled retirement dates to take measures to mitigate environmental and cost impacts. (Summit Daily)

• A California legislative committee kills a bill that would have allowed the state to sue oil and gas companies to recoup rising insurance costs stemming from climate change-exacerbated disasters. (E&E News)

• New Mexico advocates, regulators, and industry continue to spar over ways to handle growing volumes of oil and gas wastewater. (E&E News)

DATA CENTERS

• O’Leary Digital proposes the Project Stratos hyperscale data center complex and 7.5 GW of power generation capacity from undisclosed sources in Box Elder County, Utah. (Deseret News)

• Southern Arizona residents protest the Project Blue data center’s groundbreaking near Tucson, citing concerns about the facilities’ projected water and power consumption. (Arizona Luminaria)

• Colorado legislation that would more strictly regulate data centers’ energy and water use stalls in committee, but its Democratic sponsor is confident it will pass. (Colorado Sun)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Oregon contracts with firms to install 20 new public fast EV charging stations across the state. (KEZI)

GEOTHERMAL

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on seven proposed geothermal leases in southern Idaho. (KMVT)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Trump is blocking solar for farmers. Can the Farm Bill fix that? — Kari Lydersen

• Fossil fuel promoters tied to campaign to keep Ohio county renewable ban — Kathiann M. Kowalski

• Another offshore wind firm is seeking a payout as Trump stifles sector — Maria Gallucci

• Solar power soared last year — and it’s not slowing down — Kathryn Krawczyk