California regulators approve rate hike to pay for 2017 blaze

UTILITIES: California regulators approve Southern California Edison’s bid to raise rates to cover damages related to a 2017 fire sparked by the utility’s equipment. (Los Angeles Times)

SOLAR:

• Nevada loses access to $156 million in federal community solar funding after the Trump administration freezes Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure law disbursements. (Nevada Current)
• A developer completes construction on a 3 MW community solar project in Oregon. (news release)
• Some New Mexico residents urge a county planning commission to reconsider its recommendation to approve a zoning change for a proposed 220 MW solar-plus-storage project. (New Mexico Political Report)
• A California nonprofit completes its first solar workforce training program with the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Montana. (news release)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• Washington state lawmakers introduce a bill aimed at expediting clean energy and associated transmission project permitting. (Center Square)
• New Mexico lawmakers table legislation that would have established a utility-scale renewable energy production tax, saying it could hamper the nascent industry. (New Mexico Political Report)

HYDROGEN: Two southern California cities launch the nation’s first public hydrogen utility, saying they hope to make the fuel more accessible, affordable and transparent. (Utility Dive)

BATTERIES: An electric vehicle lithium-ion battery company plans to establish a 40,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada. (Manufacturing.net)

TRANSPORTATION: California transit agencies say supply chain constraints have hampered efforts to maintain and replace electric buses and related equipment. (East Bay Times) 

PUBLIC LANDS: The U.S. Senate votes to confirm fossil fuel booster and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department and oversee energy development on federal lands. (North Dakota Monitor)

GRID:

• A state-commissioned study finds Colorado will need at least $4.2 billion in new transmission investment to meet growing electricity demand from data centers and building and vehicle electrifications. (Big Pivots)
• An unusually severe storm batters utility equipment in Hawaii, leaving more than 54,000 customers without power. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

NUCLEAR:

• California lawmakers consider ways to encourage nuclear reactor development in an effort to address forecasted AI data center-driven power demand. (CalMatters)
• Residents of a Utah tribal community push back on a firm’s plans to transport uranium ore through town on its way to a nearby mill. (AZ Mirror)

CRITICAL MATERIALS:

• A southern California geothermal brine lithium extraction project’s $1.36 billion federal loan guarantee is thrown into doubt by the Trump administration’s spending freeze. (inewssource)
• Researchers say they have developed an environmentally friendly and cost-competitive way to extract lithium from geothermal brines like those found at the Salton Sea. (news release)
• The Trump administration’s threat of tariffs could affect an Alaska mine that sends its zinc and germanium to Canada for processing before it’s imported back to the U.S. (Northern Journal)

COMMENTARY: A California editorial board urges policymakers to tighten regulations on battery energy storage systems and give locals more control over siting. (Press Democrat)

UTILITIES: California regulators approve Southern California Edison’s bid to raise rates to cover damages related to a 2017 fire sparked by the utility’s equipment. (Los Angeles Times)

SOLAR:

• Nevada loses access to $156 million in federal community solar funding after the Trump administration freezes Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure law disbursements. (Nevada Current)
• A developer completes construction on a 3 MW community solar project in Oregon. (news release)
• Some New Mexico residents urge a county planning commission to reconsider its recommendation to approve a zoning change for a proposed 220 MW solar-plus-storage project. (New Mexico Political Report)
• A California nonprofit completes its first solar workforce training program with the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Montana. (news release)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• Washington state lawmakers introduce a bill aimed at expediting clean energy and associated transmission project permitting. (Center Square)
• New Mexico lawmakers table legislation that would have established a utility-scale renewable energy production tax, saying it could hamper the nascent industry. (New Mexico Political Report)

HYDROGEN: Two southern California cities launch the nation’s first public hydrogen utility, saying they hope to make the fuel more accessible, affordable and transparent. (Utility Dive)

BATTERIES: An electric vehicle lithium-ion battery company plans to establish a 40,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada. (Manufacturing.net)

TRANSPORTATION: California transit agencies say supply chain constraints have hampered efforts to maintain and replace electric buses and related equipment. (East Bay Times) 

PUBLIC LANDS: The U.S. Senate votes to confirm fossil fuel booster and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department and oversee energy development on federal lands. (North Dakota Monitor)

GRID:

• A state-commissioned study finds Colorado will need at least $4.2 billion in new transmission investment to meet growing electricity demand from data centers and building and vehicle electrifications. (Big Pivots)
• An unusually severe storm batters utility equipment in Hawaii, leaving more than 54,000 customers without power. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

NUCLEAR:

• California lawmakers consider ways to encourage nuclear reactor development in an effort to address forecasted AI data center-driven power demand. (CalMatters)
• Residents of a Utah tribal community push back on a firm’s plans to transport uranium ore through town on its way to a nearby mill. (AZ Mirror)

CRITICAL MATERIALS:

• A southern California geothermal brine lithium extraction project’s $1.36 billion federal loan guarantee is thrown into doubt by the Trump administration’s spending freeze. (inewssource)
• Researchers say they have developed an environmentally friendly and cost-competitive way to extract lithium from geothermal brines like those found at the Salton Sea. (news release)
• The Trump administration’s threat of tariffs could affect an Alaska mine that sends its zinc and germanium to Canada for processing before it’s imported back to the U.S. (Northern Journal)

COMMENTARY: A California editorial board urges policymakers to tighten regulations on battery energy storage systems and give locals more control over siting. (Press Democrat)