Colorado adopts ambitious Clean Heat rules

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.

ELECTRIFICATION

• Colorado regulators finalize Clean Heat rules requiring Xcel Energy and other investor-owned gas utilities to cut system carbon emissions by 41% in 10 years, saying the ambitious plan is more consistent with state goals to decarbonize by 2050. (Canary Media)

• California advocates slam SoCalGas for incentivizing victims of January’s Los Angeles-area wildfires to rebuild with gas appliances rather than going all-electric, saying the utility is abusing outdated rules to perpetuate fossil fuel reliance. (Inside Climate News)

UTILITIES

• Southwestern Public Service Company asks New Mexico regulators to exempt two proposed gas power plants from the state Energy Transition Act’s zero-carbon requirements, drawing advocates’ criticism. (Capital & Main)

• California utilities turn to AI to guide vegetation removal and other wildfire-hazard mitigation efforts, saying it is far less expensive than burying power lines. (Los Angeles Times)

• Rocky Mountain Power proposes a 4.48% rate hike to fund a self-insurance account designed to cover utility-sparked wildfire damages and expenses. (Utah News Dispatch)

CLEAN ENERGY

• California regulators are set to vote on a staff recommendation to reject Pacific Gas & Electric’s proposal to terminate its power purchase agreement with the Ivanpah concentrated solar plant, which would force the facility to shut down. (Politico)

• California’s grid operator prepares to implement a Western day-ahead power market that is expected to help move solar and wind power around the region. (SFGate)

• The Trump administration renames the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado to the National Laboratory of the Rockies. (CPR)

• Amaresco brings online rooftop solar and carport PV systems at seven schools in Orange County, California. (Energy Job Line)

• A California organic farm and bakery installs a solar-plus-storage system to generate about 40% of its electricity, saying its bills would be ​“astronomical” without solar. (BenitoLink)

CLIMATE

• Utah youth climate advocates file a lawsuit accusing the state’s fossil fuel-friendly policies of violating their rights to life, health, and safety. (E&E News)

• Colorado climate advocates and scientists develop a project to flare off methane seeping from an abandoned coal mine, saying it could be a global model for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. (Colorado Sun)

DATA CENTERS

• Amazon Web Services pulls out of the contested Project Blue data center near Tucson, saying its operations are not compatible with the developers’ plan to use air instead of water for cooling. (Arizona Daily Star)

• Southeast New Mexico advocates and residents push back on the proposed Project Jupiter data center’s plans to rely on gas generation, saying it could violate the state’s Energy Transition Act and degrade air quality. (Source NM)

TRANSPORTATION

• Terawatt brings online an 18-unit, solar-plus-storage-powered electric truck charging hub in Rialto, California. (CleanTechnica)

• An Aspen, Colorado, transportation coalition recommends implementing congestion pricing to relieve traffic congestion on the busy commuter route into town. (Aspen Journalism)

• California regulators end a program that allowed zero-emissions vehicle drivers to use carpool and HOV lanes, regardless of the number of occupants. (Times of San Diego)

COAL

• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and state lawmakers look to send Powder River Basin coal to Asian markets. (Cowboy State Daily)

COMMENTARY

• Energy journalist Sammy Roth celebrates the closure of the Intermountain Power Plant in Utah, the last coal facility directly powering California’s grid. (Climate Colored Goggles)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• As solar booms and coal fades, Greece’s mining region struggles to adapt — Dan McCarthy

• Ohio fines FirstEnergy $250M in landmark decision on HB 6 scandal — Kathiann M. Kowalski

• Exxon halts plans for massive low-carbon hydrogen facility in Texas — Alexander C. Kaufman

• FirstEnergy seeks looser reliability rules as outages grow more common — Kathiann M. Kowalski