California pushes offshore turbine project

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CLEAN ENERGY

California and the Port of Long Beach advances the proposed $4.7 billion Pier Wind project to support offshore turbine deployment along the state’s coast, despite the Trump administration’s hostility toward the technology. (Los Angeles Times)

HYDROPOWER

Yakama Nation members protest the federally-permitted Goldendale pumped hydropower storage project planned for a sacred tribal site overlooking the Columbia River in Washington, saying it would harm cultural resources. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

STORAGE

California’s Energy Commission approves the 400 MW Potentia-Viridi Battery Energy Storage System in Alameda County, the third project to go through the state’s accelerated permitting program. (news release)

UTILITIES

New Mexico regulators approve Southwestern Public Service Co.’s plan to add 3.8 GW of new generation — more than half of it gas-fired — and associated transmission and storage infrastructure to meet growing demand. (Utility Dive)
A Nevada judge rejects the state attorney general’s bid to block NV Energy’s daily demand charge, saying she expected the new rate structure to benefit utility customers without rooftop solar. (Nevada Independent)
Wyoming’s mining and oil and gas industries urge lawmakers to loosen utility regulations to allow for third-party electricity generation, which would let them form new entities to power their facilities amid growing demand. (WyoFile)
An Oregon judge pauses a long-running class action lawsuit seeking damages from PacifiCorp related to 2020 wildfires pending an appeal before the state’s Supreme Court. (Oregonian)

POLITICS

New Mexico’s secretary of state files an ethics complaint against a Virginia-based pro-renewable energy super PAC for allegedly failing to disclose details of its donations to state land commissioner candidate Juan Sanchez. (Source NM)

TRANSPORTATION

Alaska cruise line firms begin fueling ships with liquefied natural gas as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in port communities. (Post Alley)
California lawmakers introduce legislation that would ease restrictions on kits that allow vehicles to run on a mostly ethanol fuel blend in an effort to address rising gasoline prices. (CalMatters)

FOSSIL FUELS

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy urges lawmakers to grant a property tax break to Glenfarme’s proposed liquefied natural gas pipeline, saying the project depends on the incentives. (Alaska Beacon)
A petroleum pipeline in East Los Angeles ruptures, spilling 2,400 gallons of oil, harming wildlife, and contaminating the Los Angeles River. (CBS News)
Southern California residents launch an investigation into a November 2025 oil spill near Ojai, accusing state and local officials of botching the response to the incident and failing to disclose impacts. (Inside Climate News)
The Trump administration moves to create a blanket environmental review for oil and gas drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, garnering advocates’ criticism and industry’s praise. (Northern Journal)
The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on its proposal to auction 35 oil and gas leases covering 34,596 acres in Utah. (news release)

DATA CENTERS

Utah residents and advocates initiate a referendum aimed at overturning Box Elder County’s approval of the proposed Stratos data center on the Great Salt Lake’s shores, citing concerns about the project’s scale and energy and water consumption. (Utah News Dispatch)
Imperial, California’s city council votes to move forward with a proposed moratorium on hyperscale data centers to allow leaders to develop new land-use regulations for the facilities. (KYMA)

CRITICAL MATERIALS

Energy Fuels submits its operations and reclamation plan for its proposed Roca Honda uranium mine on federal land in New Mexico, sparking concerns from Indigenous and environmental advocates. (Source NM)

INFORMATION