Gorsuch recuses himself from Utah oil rail case

OIL & GAS: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch recuses himself from a case related to a proposed Utah oil-hauling rail line following criticism of his ties to Colorado petroleum magnate Philip Anschutz. (CNN)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Data show electric vehicles made up 25.3% of Colorado’s new car leases and sales during the third quarter of 2024, giving the state the nation’s largest EV market share. (CPR)
• A Colorado city receives $174,000 in state funding to help expand its electric vehicle fleet and build charging infrastructure. (Prairie Mountain Media)
• A California startup looks to develop an electric hydrofoil ferry that would transport passengers across Lake Tahoe. (Los Angeles Times)

STORAGE: A California startup seeks federal funding to develop a grid-scale iron phosphate battery energy storage system in Colorado that a train would carry from a charging point to a grid connection. (Colorado Sun)

SOLAR:

• Advocates and a nonprofit team up to bring solar generators to remote off-grid Navajo Nation homes. (Outside)
• A developer brings a 70 MW solar-plus-storage installation online in southern California. (Renewables Now)

LITHIUM: California environmental justice advocates call on lithium extraction firms in the Imperial Valley to sign legally binding agreements to provide local jobs, protect health and the environment and respect tribal nations’ rights. (KPBS)

CLIMATE: Boise, Idaho’s city council launches a community climate action committee and invites residents to join. (Idaho Capital Sun)

BIOFUELS: California researchers develop a simpler, less heat-intensive method of producing biodiesel from waste oil. (Biofuels Digest)

HYDROPOWER: A report finds waves off California’s coast could provide up to 140 TWh of electricity annually, but high costs, transmission constraints and potential environmental impacts could hamper development. (RTO Insider, subscription)

WIND: Portland General Electric officials say a Montana wind facility has generated over 1,000 MW 26 times in the last 10 months, which may lead to lower utility bills. (KATU)

NUCLEAR: California tech giant Meta seeks proposals for up to 4,000 MW of new nuclear generating capacity to power its data centers beginning in the early 2030s. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY: An Idaho business owner says federal clean energy tax credits are fueling economic growth in his state and urges the Republican-led Congress to refine, not repeal, the Inflation Reduction Act. (Idaho Capital Sun)