Clean energy journalism for a cooler tomorrow

Western Energy News — a daily newsletter

Arizona utility to install grid-scale iron flow battery system

By Jonathan P. Thompson

  • Link copied to clipboard

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.

STORAGE

  • Arizona utility Salt River Project plans a 50 MW long-duration iron flow battery energy storage system at its research center as part of its effort to double its Phoenix-area generating capacity over the next 10 years to meet projected demand increases. (Utility Dive, news release)

  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill requiring grid-scale battery energy storage system developers to coordinate with local fire authorities prior to construction and ordering regulators to review building standards for the facilities. (PV Magazine)

GRID

  • The Trump administration claws back $30 million in federal funding for a proposed solar-plus-storage microgrid project designed to provide emergency power to a California pediatric hospital, imperiling the project. (E&E News)

  • New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department launches a $70-million grant program to fund public entities’ grid reliability projects. (news release)

  • Winter Park, Colorado’s city council approves a proposed solar-plus-storage microgrid at its public works facility as part of an effort to make town infrastructure more sustainable. (Sky-Hi News)

FOSSIL FUELS

  • California advocates urge state lawmakers to develop a clear and just transition plan for tens of thousands of oil and gas workers expected to lose their jobs as the industry declines over the next five years. (Associated Press)

  • Data show the federal Bureau of Land Management has significantly accelerated oil and gas drilling permit approvals during the Trump administration, but industry experts expect recipients to hold onto them until economic conditions improve. (E&E News)

  • Sable Offshore’s plan to reactivate three drilling rigs off California’s coast faces mounting legal and regulatory hurdles as state officials push back on the project its developer once said was primed for cash flow generation.” (Los Angeles Times)

  • The federal Bureau of Land Management cancels a scheduled 441-million ton federal coal lease sale in the Powder River Basin after a previous sale drew lower-than-expected bids. (WyoFile)

  • FourPoint Resources signs a deal to ship 50,000 barrels of oil per day from its Uinta Basin wells as part of Energy Transfer’s effort to double its Utah rail terminal’s capacity. (Hart Energy)

NUCLEAR

  • Wyoming’s top energy agency recommends awarding BWXT Technologies a $100-million grant to fund its proposed TRISO nuclear fuel manufacturing plant in Gillette. (WyoFile)

CLEAN ENERGY

  • Logan County, Colorado’s commissioners consider banning new utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage facilities and data centers until they can develop regulations for the projects. (Journal-Advocate)

MINING

  • Alaska advocates say they will continue to fight the proposed Ambler road that would open cobalt and copper deposits to mining even after the Trump administration approved the project. (Northern Journal)

  • Utah regulators tentatively approve Anfield’s proposed Velvet-Wood uranium in the southeastern part of the state after the Trump administration greenlit the project under its accelerated energy emergency” permitting. (Durango Herald)

GEOTHERMAL

  • New Mexico officials look to establish regulations for and encourage development of an estimated 163 GW of potential geothermal generating capacity in the state. (KUNM)

NEW FROM CANARY 

  • How Trump gutted the team meant to build America’s energy future — Maria Gallucci

  • Massachusetts offshore wind port uncertain after federal funding cuts — Sarah Shemkus

  • Trump’s cuts to billion-dollar hydrogen hubs rattle industry — Alexander C. Kaufman

  • No ship? New York offshore wind project faces yet another hurdle — Clare Fieseler

  • This mysterious DOE​‘hit list’ has the clean-energy world on edge — Kathryn Krawczyk