Federal advisory council deals a blow to Idaho wind project

WIND: A federal historic preservation advisory council ceases work on the proposed Lava Ridge wind installation in Idaho, saying it cannot guarantee the project would not harm a national historic site. (Boise State Public Radio)

ALSO: A Wyoming county advances the proposed 504 MW Rail Tie wind project by approving its infrastructure and road plans. (Wyoming Business Report)

SOLAR:

• Residents of a southern California mining town protest a 530 MW solar-plus-storage project under development on private land as the developers begin cutting and shredding thousands of Joshua trees. (Los Angeles Times)
• A developer brings a 60 MW solar-plus-storage installation online in Maui, Hawaii. (Maui Now)

ELECTRIFICATION: Pacific Gas & Electric experiments with ​“strategic decommissioning,” or helping residents electrify neighborhoods to avoid replacing aging natural gas infrastructure. (Sierra)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• A report finds Nevada leads the nation in federal clean energy investments and has claimed 54% of its potential funding. (Marketplace)
• New Mexico officials celebrate federal Inflation Reduction Act-funded clean energy manufacturing and home electrification projects coming to fruition. (Albuquerque Journal)

OIL & GAS: 

• Oregon advocates push back against the proposed expansion of a fuel hub in Portland, citing federal reports finding the facility is especially vulnerable to seismic activity. (High Country News)
• A Colorado city’s residents call on regulators to reject a proposed fuel storage facility expansion near a school, saying it imperils students’ and staff’s health and safety. (CBS Colorado)

UTILITIES: New Mexico regulators look to finalize a state Energy Transition Act provision requiring some utilities to reduce their carbon emissions. (NM Political Report)

CLIMATE: Oregon schools consider installing cooling systems after unusually high temperatures forced them to cancel classes. (OPB)

GRID:

• Extreme heat causes a California natural gas plant’s equipment to malfunction, triggering rolling power outages in the Los Angeles area. (Pasadena Now)
• A regional coalition plans to develop a West-wide transmission study aimed at guiding interregional grid development with an emphasis on reliability, efficiency and state policy goals. (Utility Dive)
• The Bonneville Power Administration continues to fund SPP’s proposed Markets+ design effort, saying it wants to ensure the viability of two day-ahead power markets to choose from. (RTO Insider, subscription)

BATTERIES: Arizona researchers develop technology to predict and prevent dangerous temperature spikes and resulting fires in lithium-ion batteries. (news release)

TRANSPORTATION: Colorado transportation officials seek public input on a proposed passenger rail project in the northwestern part of the state. (Trains)

BIOFUELS: A Hawaii company plans to convert its 60 MW oil-fired power plant to run entirely on biofuels and add a battery energy storage system to the facility. (West Hawaii Today)