Montana high court sides with advocates in landmark climate case

CLIMATE: Montana’s Supreme Court upholds a landmark climate ruling saying the state’s fossil fuel-friendly permitting policies violate residents’ constitutional right to a clean environment. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Portland, Oregon’s city council votes to spend $300 million from its clean energy fund to install solar on low-income homes, build 230 net-zero energy housing units, decarbonize city vehicles and other climate projects. (OPB)

OVERSIGHT: The U.S. EPA greenlights California rules banning new gasoline-powered car sales by 2035 and establishing cleaner engine standards for heavy-duty trucks, drawing advocates’ praise and industry criticism. (Los Angeles Times) 

OIL & GAS: 

• An environmental group launches a national ad campaign attacking California Gov. Gavin Newsom for not closing the contentious Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility near Los Angeles. (The Hill)
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy calls on President-elect Trump to roll back the Biden administration’s restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve. (Alaska Beacon)
• A firm proposes drilling 48 oil and gas wells in western Colorado. (Daily Sentinel)

HYDROGEN: The U.S. Energy Department unveils plans to conduct environmental reviews for proposed hydrogen hubs in California and the Northwest. (E&E News, subscription; Oregon Capital Chronicle)

SOLAR:

• A Colorado farmer says installing solar panels among his crops helped make his agricultural operation more economically and environmentally sustainable. (Rocky Mountain PBS)
• A developer secures $304 million in financing for a proposed 125 MW solar project in Idaho designed to help power a nearby Meta data center. (Renewable Energy World)

TRANSPORTATION: The U.S. Transportation Department awards $49.7 million to the proposed Cascade high-speed rail project that would link Portland to Seattle and other Northwest cities. (KOIN)

COAL: A family files a lawsuit accusing a New Mexico coal mine of negligence that contributed to the 2022 death of a contract welder at the facility. (Cibola Citizen)

HYDROPOWER:

• The U.S. Senate passes legislation clearing the way for a proposed pumped hydropower energy storage facility on federal land in central Arizona. (news release)
• The Biden administration plans to update an environmental analysis on the management of federal hydropower facilities in the Northwest, advancing a proposal to breach four dams that harm fish. (Idaho Capital Sun)

NUCLEAR: California startup Oklo signs on to provide a data center developer with up to 1,200 MW of power from its advanced nuclear reactors currently in development. (Utility Dive)

PUBLIC LANDS: An advocacy group files a lawsuit accusing Utah’s governor and attorney general of violating the state constitution with a legal bid to seize control of 18 million acres of ​“unappropriated” federal lands within its boundaries. (news release)