California looks to Trump-proof electric vehicle incentives

Western Energy News is taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll be back on Monday, Dec. 2.

NUCLEAR:

• Amazon offers $334 million to study the feasibility of a proposed small modular nuclear reactor plant at the federal Hanford site in Washington state. (Cascade PBS)
• Analysts say Amazon’s and Google’s plans to develop small modular reactors to power Oregon and Washington data centers could spark a nuclear energy revival. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR:

• Colorado awards a county $2 million to develop a solar array and help it weather a scheduled coal plant retirement. (news release)
• California researchers launch an agrivoltaics project to test the feasibility of growing crops under solar panels. (LAist)

UTILITIES: Public Service Company of New Mexico proposes adding 430 MW of new solar capacity and battery storage, including a planned array near the defunct San Juan coal plant. (Solar Industry)

GRID:

• Three Arizona utilities agree to join the Southwest Power Pool’s day-ahead and real-time power markets, saying the regional grid will bolster resilience and encourage clean energy deployment. (Utility Dive)
• A northern California balancing authority agrees to join the California grid operator’s day-ahead power market. (news release)

OIL & GAS: 

• The incoming Trump administration plans to expedite oil and gas drilling permitting and leasing on federal lands shortly after taking office as part of its ​“energy dominance” agenda. (Reuters)
• New Mexico regulators publish a feasibility study and funding request for treating oil and gas wastewater and reusing it for industrial purposes. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

COAL: Utah lawmakers propose legislation to close perceived gaps in a 2023 law aimed at blocking the Intermountain Power Association coal plant’s 2025 retirement. (Utah News Dispatch)

LITHIUM: A Utah lithium mining firm idles its Great Salt Lake operations and lays off 186 employees, citing low commodity prices. (KUER)

BUILDINGS: A Colorado town considers requiring homeowners to offset outdoor energy use for pools, spas and snowmelt systems by installing solar and batteries or paying a fee. (Vail Daily)

PUBLIC LANDS: Federal officials push back on Western states’ legal bid to seize ​“unappropriated” public lands, saying the case rests on ​“weak foundations.” (WyoFile)

CLIMATE: California’s public employee pension fund says it has invested $53 billion in climate solutions over the last year, though advocates are still urging it to divest from ExxonMobil. (ESG Dive)