Army Corps creates ​“emergency” permits to skirt clean water rules

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OVERSIGHT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers creates a new class of ​“emergency” permits aimed at expediting Clean Water Act reviews for up to 700 proposed transmission, pipeline, geothermal and other energy projects, including dozens in Western states. (New York Times, news release)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington fortify state Buy Clean laws aimed at boosting demand for low-carbon construction materials after the Trump administration abandons similar federal efforts. (Canary Media)
• An Alaska city’s officials and a developer propose a hydroelectric plant that would provide power to a large-scale mine and help it reduce its reliance on diesel fuel. (Northern Journal)
• Hawaiian Electric signs contracts for two planned solar-plus-storage projects totaling 126 MW of generating capacity. (Maui Now)

GRID

• Utah advocates urge state lawmakers to reject legislation that would alter the way utilities count energy storage and demand response resources, saying it would stifle competition and drive up costs. (Utah News Dispatch)
• A California lawmaker introduces legislation aimed at encouraging virtual power plant deployment. (news release)
• Pacific Gas & Electric begins upgrading utility infrastructure in northern California as part of an effort to reduce planned and accidental power outages. (Sacramento Bee)

TRANSPORTATION

• A California poll finds that 54% of respondents support spending taxpayer funds on the state’s high-speed rail project. (KTLA)
• Arizona electric semi-truck manufacturer Nikola files for bankruptcy protection, saying it is likely to run out of cash this year. (Associated Press)

FOSSIL FUELS

Advocacy groups file lawsuits seeking to block a Trump administration order reopening parts of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans to offshore oil drilling following a Biden-era ban. (AFP)

STORAGE

Another fire breaks out at the Moss Landing battery energy storage facility in central California, triggering a shelter-in-place warning until the blaze was extinguished hours later. (Mercury News)

NUCLEAR

Wyoming lawmakers fail to advance legislation that would have allowed nuclear microreactor developers to temporarily store spent fuel in the state. (WyoFile)

PUBLIC LANDS

A Colorado College poll finds 72% of respondents from the Western U.S. favor protecting federal lands and boosting recreation over opening up more to oil and gas drilling. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY

• An Alaska policy expert calls for a ban on scrubbers that remove pollutants from cruise ship exhaust, saying they dump those chemicals into the water and harm marine life and ecosystems. (Alaska Beacon)
• A California columnist urges lawmakers to scrutinize legislation aimed at expediting small modular nuclear reactor development to power data centers. (Fresno Bee)