Feds extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s life

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

NUCLEAR

• The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission renews Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s license, clearing the way for California’s last remaining reactors to run through at least 2030. (Los Angeles Times)

• An internal investigation finds the U.S. Energy Department mismanaged NuScale and Utah utilities’ canceled Carbon Free Power small modular reactor project originally proposed for Idaho. (E&E News)

STORAGE

• Arevon begins constructing the 250 MW Cormorant battery energy storage system, one of the nation’s largest such facilities in an urban area, south of San Francisco. (Canary Media)

OIL & GAS

• New Mexico tribal nations and elected officials push back on the Trump administration’s proposal to revoke a Biden-era ban on oil and gas leasing around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in the northwestern part of the state. (Source NM)

• Wyoming and federal regulators seek public input on a proposed 647-mile pipeline that would carry about 550,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Canada to a hub in the eastern part of the state. (WyoFile)

• Federal Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sales in Colorado, Nevada, and Utah generate $64.8 million in revenue. (news release)

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on 20 proposed oil and gas parcels covering 3,387 acres in Montana and the Dakotas. (news release)

POLITICS

• Nevada gubernatorial candidate Aaran Ford says he will ​“halt” NV Energy’s contentious new peak demand charge if he is elected this November. (Nevada Current)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Oregon officials extend the public comment period for its Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap to April 27. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

GRID

• Nevada regulators move to allow NV Energy to join the California grid operator’s regional extended day-ahead energy market. (E&E News)

• California Choice Energy Authority launches a virtual power plant program that will draw on customers’ smart thermostats, EV chargers, and battery storage to reduce grid strain. (news release)

CRITICAL MINERALS

• New Mexico residents and officials push back on a proposed uranium exploration project on U.S. Forest Service land in the northern part of the state. (Source NM)

• Ramaco Resources shareholders file a lawsuit accusing the company of misleading investors regarding progress at its coal and rare earth metals mine in Wyoming. (WyoFile)

COAL

• California Bay Area advocates call for rules limiting emissions from and coal volume moving through a proposed shipping terminal in Oakland. (KALW)

• Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington join 17 other states in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule limiting coal and oil plant emissions. (Source NM)

DATA CENTERS

• Colorado advocates say Xcel Energy’s proposed special tariff aimed at ensuring new data centers pay for associated grid upgrades is a ​“good first step” toward protecting other ratepayers. (Colorado Sun)

• NorthWestern Energy proposes a special tariff for new data centers to address associated costs while protecting existing customers. (Daily Montanan)

GEOTHERMAL

• An Arizona governor’s office study highlights enhanced geothermal power’s potential to help meet the state’s growing energy demand. (KJZZ)

CLIMATE

• Federal and state lawmakers look to follow Utah in passing legislation shielding fossil fuel companies from criminal or civil liabilities for climate change-related damages. (New York Times, Bloomberg Law)