Diablo Canyon nuclear plant debate heats up

NUCLEAR: Pacific Gas & Electric disputes advocates’ claims that operating the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant until 2030 will cost $12 billion as California lawmakers propose canceling a $400 million loan for the facility. (Newsweek, Associated Press) 

SOLAR:

• A Colorado electric cooperative brings its first community solar installation online and begins offering shares to income-qualified residents. (Durango Herald)
• Tri-State Generation & Transmission invests in solar installations in Colorado and New Mexico after members defect and protest the power wholesaler’s coal-heavy portfolio. (Canary Media)
• A California school district selects a contractor to install and operate 2.3 MW of solar arrays at five schools. (news release)
• Nevada officials say at least four solar projects over 1,000 MW each are in the proposal or pre-construction phase in the state. (KLAS)

WIND: Developers bring a 152 MW wind facility online in southeast Idaho. (Idaho State Journal)

BIOFUELS: Northwest advocates look to block a proposed wood pellet plant’s air quality permit, saying regional regulators underestimated the Washington facility’s potential harmful emissions. (news release)

CLIMATE: A civil grand jury finds San Francisco lacks a comprehensive funding plan for climate adaptation and existing infrastructure is inadequate to handle worsening floods. (Los Angeles Times)

OIL & GAS: 

• An Alaska oil and gas auction aimed at spurring drilling by offering royalty-free leases in the Cook Inlet draws only three bids from a single company, disappointing state officials. (Alaska Beacon)
• Democratic federal lawmakers from Colorado urge the U.S. EPA to scrutinize proposed rail terminal expansions in eastern Utah that could lead to oil train traffic through the region. (Colorado Newsline)
• A conservation group petitions a court to block federal drilling permits in Colorado that allow companies to extract oil and gas from neighboring state and private lands. (E&E News, subscription) 

PUBLIC LANDS:

• The federal Bureau of Land Management considers revoking a plan to protect a wildlife migration corridor in southern Wyoming from energy development following state officials’ protests. (WyoFile)
• Advocates push back on the federal Bureau of Management’s plan to protect greater sage grouse from energy development and other threats, saying it falls ​“woefully short” of what’s needed to save the imperiled species. (news release)

CARBON CAPTURE: A Western governors’ group urges the Biden administration to ​“promote not impede” carbon capture deployment at power plants. (WyoFile)

TRANSITION:

• New Mexico officials say utilities are on track to meet state renewable portfolio standards and energy transition costs have been lower than expected. (Albuquerque Journal)
• A Navajo Nation summit explores ways to weather the transition away from fossil fuels, take advantage of federal incentives and take ownership of or gain equity in energy projects. (Inside Climate News)

COAL: Documents reveal Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ignored pleas from more than a dozen local officials and agencies to veto legislation aimed at taking ownership of an aging coal plant to keep it operating beyond its scheduled retirement. (Salt Lake Tribune)