New Mexico energy transition funds go to hydrogen, pumped storage

TRANSITION: New Mexico officials vote to offer energy transition funds aimed at offsetting a coal plant closure’s impacts to proposed hydrogen production, pumped hydropower storage and coal ash recycling projects. (NM Political Report)

ENERGY ECONOMY:

• Southwestern Wyoming braces for an influx of workers to staff a proposed advanced nuclear reactor and a pair of carbon dioxide management projects. (WyoFile)
• President Biden postpones a trip to a wind turbine factory in southern Colorado where he planned to tout federal funding for clean energy projects. (Associated Press)

COAL: A coal train crashed in southern Colorado, killing a truck driver, destroying a bridge and shutting down an interstate highway indefinitely. (Colorado Sun)

HYDROGEN: New Mexico advocates urge state leaders to abandon plans to establish a hydrogen fuel production hub after its proposal was left off a list of projects garnering federal funds. (NM Political Report)

UTILITIES: California regulators consider proposed changes to the state’s 2025-2028 resource adequacy program. (RTO Insider, subscription)

SOLAR: California’s grid operator maintained normal operations during the Oct. 14 eclipse after the drop solar generation it created was more muted than predicted. (RTO Insider, subscription)

WIND:

• Some central California residents push back against proposed offshore wind power development, saying it is ​“just another attempt to industrialize the coast.” (CalMatters)
• An Oregon city votes to oppose planned wind power development off the state’s southern coast, citing potential impacts to fishing, tourism and wildlife. (Lost Coast Outpost)

CRITICAL MATERIALS:

• An environmental group prepares to file a lawsuit accusing federal wildlife officials of delaying endangered species protections for a snail that lives near the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)
• The Biden administration designates copper as a critical mineral, making tax credits available to existing and proposed mines in Arizona. (Arizona Daily Star)

BATTERIES: A firm begins operations at its lithium-ion battery recycling facility in northern Nevada. (news release)

OIL & GAS: 

• Colorado regulators hold hearings on rules for evaluating and regulating oil and gas development’s cumulative impacts. (Colorado Sun)
• A U.S. Air Force base in Arizona pushes back on a proposed underground natural gas storage facility and pipeline, citing safety and health risks. (Casa Grande Dispatch)
• California scientists urge regulators to leave defunct offshore oil rigs intact, saying they have become part of the ocean environment and serve as refuges for sea life. (Guardian)

CLIMATE:

• New Mexico establishes a climate investment center aimed at financing equity-focused clean energy projects. (NM Political Report)
• The Phoenix metro area is on pace to set a new annual record for heat-related fatalities following an abnormally hot summer. (Associated Press)

CARBON CAPTURE: Montana residents and officials raise concerns about a proposed carbon sequestration project on federal land in the southeastern part of the state. (Tri-State Livestock News)