Construction begins on long-delayed New Mexico solar facility

SOLAR: A developer begins construction on a 200 MW solar-plus-storage project in northwestern New Mexico to replace capacity lost when the San Juan coal plant closed last year. (Solar Builder)

ALSO:
• Advocates push back on Idaho Power’s plan to restructure its rooftop solar net metering rate schedule, saying it could slow distributed generation adoption and strain the grid. (Idaho Statesman)
• A fossilized mammoth tooth is found on a proposed 400 MW solar installation site in southern Nevada, raising questions about the project’s impacts to fossils in the area. (E&E News, subscription)
• A Washington state initiative looks to map areas of least conflict for solar development. (KUOW)

UTILITIES:
• More than 150 insurance companies sue Xcel Energy over its role in sparking the 2021 Marshall Fire, Colorado’s most destructive blaze on record. (CPR)
• Consumer advocates push back on NV Energy’s proposed $373 million natural disaster plan, saying it forces southern Nevada customers to subsidize those in the north. (Nevada Current)
• Xcel Energy slashes its $312 million rate hike request by 85% in the wake of consumer outrage over rising electricity costs. (Colorado Sun)
• An Alaska city considers next steps after voters reject the proposed sale of its utility for a second time. (KBBI)

OIL & GAS: Wyoming advocates raise concerns about a planned natural gas pipeline that would cut through core sage grouse habitat. (Jackson Hole News & Guide)

BATTERIES:
• California’s grid operator says it has added more than 5,000 MW of battery storage since 2020, enough to power about 3.8 million homes. (Reuters)
• A California startup looks to replace diesel generators with its mobile battery systems. (Canary Media)
• A Colorado electric cooperative plans to install a 313 MWh of battery energy storage at multiple sites. (Energy Storage News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A U.S. Army base in Colorado receives its first wave of Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks. (The Gazette)
• Hawaii is poised to become the first state to use federal infrastructure funds to install electric vehicle chargers. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

NUCLEAR: Colorado environmental advocates urge officials to reject proposals to replace a retiring coal plant with a nuclear reactor, saying it would pose a health risk and siphon funds away from clean energy projects. (Pueblo Chieftain)

COMMENTARY: A Nevada wildlife advocate urges federal lawmakers to end speculative oil and gas leasing to keep it from impeding other public land activities and uses. (Reno Gazette Journal, subscription)