Kern County greenlights proposed 2 GW solar-plus-storage project

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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• Kern County, California’s supervisors vote to approve the proposed 2 GW Buttonbush solar-plus-storage project on water-constrained farmland in the western part of the county. (Bakersfield Californian)

• A Trump administration official pushes back on federal legislation that would allow proposed solar and wind projects to be added onto existing oil and gas, coal, and geothermal leases on federal land. (E&E News)

• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass launches an effort to replace up to 60,000 streetlights in the city with solar-powered versions. (CBS News)

• Oregon’s Energy Department awards Multnomah County $1 million to help fund a community solar project and a photovoltaic installation at a farm. (OPB)

• Solar robotics firm Maximo installs photovoltaic panels at AES’s 1 GW Bellefield solar project under development in Kern County, California. (news release)

OIL & GAS

• Advocacy groups file a lawsuit accusing the federal Bureau of Land Management of rescinding protections for the imperiled greater sage grouse to benefit the oil and gas industry. (news release)

• A Texas lawmaker proposes a longshot annexation of three oil-producing New Mexico counties in the Permian Basin. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

DATA CENTERS

• Colorado labor unions push back on state legislation that would require data centers to invest in clean energy and pay for associated grid upgrades, saying it would effectively ban new facilities. (Colorado Sun)

• New Mexico regulators delay a decision on air-quality permits for the Project Jupiter data center complex’s proposed gas-fired power plants and plan a public hearing on the subject. (Source NM)

• Advocates urge Nevada lawmakers to develop guardrails to protect utility ratepayers and electricity and water supplies from new data center development. (Nevada Current)

UTILITIES

• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs launches a $15 million initiative to expand eligibility and access to the state’s utility assistance program. (AZ Family)

• New Mexico utilities say they are investing in grid-monitoring technology, fireproof materials, and vegetation management to mitigate wildfire hazard this summer. (Source NM)

NUCLEAR

• Observers say X-Energy’s plan to go public could help fund its proposed advanced nuclear reactor in Washington state’s Tri-City area. (Tri-City Herald)

GRID

• Advocates and tribal nations raise concerns about potential environmental impacts of a proposed 100-mile transmission line in Oregon that would run under the Columbia River. (Oregonian)

• The U.S. Energy Department offers $50 million in grants to tribal nations for ​“affordable, reliable, and secure energy development” with an emphasis on diesel/​gas, geothermal, hydrokinetic, or hybrid systems. (Utility Dive)

• A California lawmaker introduces legislation that would require regulators to allow home batteries, electric vehicles, and smart thermostats to compete with traditional power plants in the resource adequacy market. (PV Magazine)

COAL

• Colorado regulators order Xcel Energy to address a potential electricity shortfall this summer that could stem from the damaged Comanche 3 coal plant being offline until August. (Colorado Sun)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A California lawmaker proposes legislation that would streamline permitting for and incentivize EV charger installations at multifamily rental units. (Politico)