L.A. wildfires leave thousands without power

GRID: Extreme winds and unseasonably dry conditions fuel multiple destructive wildfires in the Los Angeles-area, spurring public power safety outages and leaving at least 55,000 utility customers without power. (Los Angeles Times, NBC Los Angeles)

ALSO: The U.S. Energy Department provides a conditional $1.8 billion loan guarantee to Arizona Public Service for upgrading transmission, developing clean energy and deploying battery storage. (news release)

NUCLEAR:

• Northwest environmental and Indigenous advocates push back against Amazon’s plan to develop small modular nuclear reactors in southeastern Washington to power its data centers. (OPB)
• A California startup and a tech firm unveil a plan to develop underground small modular nuclear reactors to power data centers. (Power Engineering)
• A firm proposes an in situ uranium mining operation on private land in central New Mexico. (New Mexico Political Report)

UTILITIES:

• A state analyst’s report finds California’s electricity rates are far higher than the national average and could impede clean energy goals by discouraging households from electrifying. (Mercury News)
• NV Energy proposes raising rates to pay for a $500 million self-insurance fund to cover damages related to utility equipment-sparked wildfires. (Nevada Current)
• The University of Montana challenges NorthWestern Energy’s proposed standby tariff, saying it would eat up half the savings realized by the institution’s new combined heat power plant. (Billings Gazette, subscription) 

SOLAR:

• A study finds expanding Washington state’s community solar program could lead to thousands of new jobs, more than $76 million in tax revenue and other economic benefits. (news release)
• A developer brings two solar arrays totaling 300 MW of capacity online in southern California. (news release)
• A central Arizona city greenlights a proposed utility-scale solar installation on 816 acres of private land. (Pinal Central)

OIL & GAS: 

• Alaska nears an agreement with a private firm to lead and develop a proposed 800-mile liquefied natural gas pipeline and export terminal. (KDLL)
• An advocacy group’s investigation finds a California tax loophole pushed by oil and gas corporations deprives the state of $4 billion in annual revenue. (news release)

COAL: U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Montana Republican, introduces legislation aimed at overturning the federal Bureau of Land Management’s rules blocking new coal leases in the Powder River Basin. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: More than 900 Oregon residents still have not received rebates for 2024 electric vehicle purchases after the state incentive program ran out of funds last June. (Salem Statesman Journal)