Montana appeals youth climate lawsuit decision

CLIMATE: Montana plans to appeal a district court’s August decision in favor of youth climate advocates that affirmed state residents’ constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. (Daily Montanan)

SOLAR: A California county calls on the state to block a proposal to force multifamily structures and institutions to sell power generated from rooftop solar to the utility before buying it back at a higher rate. (NBC Bay Area)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Washington state’s pending transportation electrification plan is expected to recommend larger incentives, more charging outlets and stronger rules pushing drivers to replace gasoline fueled vehicles with electric ones. (Washington State Standard)
• Nevada receives $8 million in federal infrastructure funding and Arizona $16 million to expand their electric vehicle charging networks. (KOLO, Daily Independent)
• A Colorado program offers free electric bicycles to low-income residents and essential workers in rural communities, where transit options are limited. (KUNC)
• Federal data show Wyoming has the nation’s second most chargers per electric vehicle. (Jackson Hole News & Guide)

UTILITIES: Arizona utility SRP approves an integrated systems plan aimed at meeting a projected 25% demand growth by adding 6,000 MW of solar and 2,000 MW of natural gas generation by 2035. (news release)

MICROGRIDS: An Arizona city considers installing a solar-powered microgrid in its downtown. (Tucson Sentinel)

WIND: The federal Bureau of Land Management sets aside nearly 70,000 acres in Nevada for a proposed 600 MW wind power facility to prevent new mining claims from interfering with its construction. (KLAS)

BATTERIES: A fire breaks out in a grid-scale battery storage installation in Idaho. (KTVB)

GRID:

• A southern California city puts a proposed $14.5 million utility line undergrounding project up for a public vote. (Los Angeles Times)
• An electrical contractor group says preparing Colorado’s power grid for the added demands of electric vehicles will be ​“challenging, to say the least.” (CBS Colorado)

OIL & GAS: Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon rejects federal funds aimed at reducing methane emissions by plugging low-producing oil and gas wells, saying it would harm the industry even though it is voluntary. (news release)

COAL: The Biden administration awards $1.6 million to the Navajo Nation to clean up abandoned coal mines. (Indian Gaming)

BIOFUELS:

• A study predicts biofuels will completely displace petroleum diesel in California by 2030 if current climate policies remain. (Ag Data News)
• Washington state awards nearly $2 million to three biofuel production projects. (Biomass Magazine)

TRANSITION: A peer-reviewed study finds most fossil fuel workers will not transition to clean energy jobs due to a significant mismatch between where new jobs are located. (RTO Insider, subscription, Nature Journal)