Feds advance contested Idaho wind project near historic site

WIND: The federal Bureau of Land Management advances the contested Lava Ridge wind project in southern Idaho that would be visible from a World War II incarceration camp and national historic site, drawing advocates’ criticism. (National Parks Traveler)

TRANSMISSION: A federal judge dismisses a tribal nation’s and advocates’ lawsuit seeking to block construction of a segment of the SunZia transmission line through a culturally significant valley in southern Arizona, saying the plaintiffs’ challenge came too late. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California Gov. Gavin Newsom says state policies contributed to a twofold increase in electric truck, bus and van sales in 2023 over the previous year. (Fresno Bee)

STORAGE: Southern California residents step up opposition to a proposed grid-scale battery energy storage system following a fire at a nearby facility, saying the installations should be sited in industrial areas. (KPBS)

GEOTHERMAL: Colorado awards a firm $100,000 to develop a geothermal energy network powered by heat extracted from inactive oil wells. (news release)

CLIMATE:

• California regulators consider proposed rules aimed at protecting indoor workers and schoolchildren from extreme heat. (CBS News)
• The Biden administration launches its youth climate corps program, with most of the jobs based in Western states. (High Country News)
• An advocacy group finds San Diego is lagging other southern California cities in efforts to fight climate change by increasing clean energy, phasing out natural gas and supporting public transit. (KPBS)

SOLAR:

• NV Energy agrees to buy power from a 700 MW solar project with 700 MW of battery storage planned for western Nevada. (Solar Power World)
• A developer brings a 463 MW solar-plus-storage installation online in southern California. (Solar Quarter)

UTILITIES: Residents of a rural Arizona community push back against a utility’s proposed substation, saying it would harm views and property values. (KGUN)

OIL & GAS: 

• A Los Angeles-area community’s residents urge city officials to reject an oil and gas company’s proposed 20-year drilling permit extension, saying it would be ​“antidemocratic, disgusting and downright dangerous.” (Inside Climate News)
• An analysis finds Colorado’s oil and gas industry spent more than $7 million on campaigns aimed at watering down proposed ozone pollution regulations. (DeSmog)
• Officials investigate a deadly oilfield accident in Alaska, the fourth oil and gas-related workplace fatality on the North Slope in just over a year. (Anchorage Daily News)

COAL: The U.S. Interior Department makes nearly $36 million available to six Western states and the Navajo Nation for abandoned coal mine cleanup. (news release)

COMMENTARY: A tech industry analyst urges California lawmakers to reduce data centers’ power consumption and resulting grid strain and greenhouse gas emissions by mandating energy efficiency standards. (Capitol Weekly)