Experts: BPA terminations could ​“unleash American blackouts”

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

GRID

• Industry experts say the Trump administration terminating more than 400 Bonneville Power Administration employees could lead to grid instability and ​“unleash American blackouts.”(OPB)
• NV Energy officials say the state’s growing data center industry could quadruple electricity demand on its grid in the ​“foreseeable future.” (Northern Nevada Business Weekly)

TRANSPORTATION

• The Trump administration orders the federal General Services Administration to shut down 22 electric vehicle charging stations on its Denver-area campus. (CPR)
• The Trump administration launches a review of $4 billion in promised federal funding for California’s high-speed rail to determine whether the project is ​“worthy of a continual investment.” (Los Angeles Times) 
• Electric truck maker Nikola plans to lay off 855 workers at its Arizona headquarters and production facility as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Phoenix Business Journal, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A New Mexico county approves a proposed 220 MW solar-plus-storage installation between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Wyoming advocates call on the Trump administration to revoke federal rights of way and a grid interconnection agreement for two utility-scale wind projects under development. (Heatmap, subscription)
• A California school district finishes bringing 14 solar installations online following months of interconnection-related delays. (Santa Barbara Independent)

UTILITIES

California lawmakers introduce bills that would address utility costs by aligning rate hikes with inflation and requiring regulatory approval for proposed infrastructure projects. (Mercury News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The federal Bureau of Land Management strips analysis of environmental justice and climate costs from a Biden-era review of a Permian Basin oil and gas lease sale held this week. (Inside Climate News)
• An Oregon city establishes a fee on natural gas-fueled appliances for new homes as part of an effort to encourage residential electrification. (OPB)
• The Northern Cheyenne Tribe looks to defend the Biden-era federal coal leasing ban in the Powder River Basin from Montana’s and Wyoming’s lawsuit seeking to overturn the moratorium. (news release)

NUCLEAR

Arizona lawmakers advance legislation that would loosen regulations to allow large industrial energy users to build small modular nuclear reactors in rural areas. (AZ Mirror)

COMMENTARY

A California consultant urges regulators to limit utilities’ returns to reflect actual market costs, saying that would lower bills and remove incentives to overspend on infrastructure. (San Francisco Chronicle)