Ivanpah solar plant shutters two units

SOLAR: The Ivanpah concentrating solar plant in eastern California plans to shut down two of its three units after Pacific Gas & Electric cancels power purchases from the facility, saying photovoltaic-generated energy is less expensive. (Las Vegas Review-Journal, news release)

ALSO:

• A western Colorado electric cooperative plans to use federal funding to purchase power from a solar facility under development in the region, but worries the Trump administration may stop the payments. (Daily Sentinel)
• Colorado’s largest electric cooperative agrees to purchase power from a 150 MW solar installation under development in the eastern part of the state. (Power)
• A developer brings a solar array online on an 839,000 square-foot warehouse’s rooftop in northern California. (news release)

BATTERIES: California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for an investigation into last week’s fire at the Moss Landing battery energy storage system. (Renewable Energy World)

CLEAN ENERGY: Indigenous organizations and nonprofits help tribal nations fill in federal funding gaps and develop clean energy projects. (Resilience)

OIL & GAS: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy celebrates President Trump’s orders lifting restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the state, saying it was ​“like a sled of Christmas presents.” (Alaska Beacon)

TRANSITION: Utah coal communities look to federal funding to diversify their economies and develop ways to weather the looming decline of the fossil fuel industry. (High Country News)

UTILITIES:

• In its final days, the Biden administration awarded an Arizona generation and transmission cooperative $485 million to invest in solar-plus-storage projects to serve members across the Southwest. (news release)
• Colorado regulators approve the Black Hills gas provider’s clean heat plan that focuses on building electrification and energy efficiency to cut emissions. (news release)

GRID: Federal regulators approve the proposed Southwest Intertie transmission line designed to carry Idaho wind power to California. (RTO Insider, subscription)

EMISSIONS: A conservative think tank files a lawsuit seeking to force Washington state agencies to comply with a law requiring timely greenhouse gas emissions reporting. (Seattle Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A California city says one of Trump’s executive orders jeopardizes federal funds it planned to use to install dozens of electric vehicle chargers. (East Bay Times)

NUCLEAR: A Wyoming coal town’s officials hope the Bill Gates-backed advanced nuclear reactor under development there will also lure data centers to the area. (Cowboy State Daily)

CARBON CAPTURE: The Biden administration awarded Arizona State University $11.2 million to develop a direct air carbon capture hub in the Four Corners region. (news release)

COMMENTARY: A California climate risk analyst calls on fossil fuel corporations to compensate victims of the climate-change exacerbated Los Angeles-area fires. (New York Times)