November 7, 2023

Editor’s note: Western Energy News is taking a quick break and won’t publish tomorrow. We’ll be back Thursday.

TRANSITION: A labor union accuses a shuttered New Mexico coal mine operator of withholding and unequally distributing state energy transition funds to displaced workers. (High Country News)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• A Hawaii utility cooperative says its publicly owned grid model has helped it reach its goal of generating 60% of its electricity from clean energy sources. (Canary Media)
• The Biden administration advances 15 clean energy and transmission projects proposed for or under development on federal lands across the Western U.S. (Grist)

SOLAR:

• A New Mexico county approves a $275 million bond to finance a proposed solar installation that would power a Meta data center. (Rio Rancho Observer)
• Developers bring two solar installations totaling 864 MW online in southern California. (Desert Sun)
• Construction begins on an 80 MW solar array in Washington state. (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• The developers of a proposed solar installation in southwestern Colorado plan to continue to pursue the project despite permitting setbacks. (Durango Herald)

DIVESTMENT: California’s public pension system considers dumping its investments in companies with inadequate climate plans and expanding its stake in firms focused on reducing emissions. (E&E News)

UTILITIES: Some southern California residents push back on San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposal to comply with state law by implementing an income-based rate structure. (Fox 5)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham proposes tax credits toward electrical vehicle purchases for low-income residents and small businesses. (Associated Press)

NUCLEAR: Oil and gas operators in the Permian Basin urge U.S. lawmakers to block a proposed interim nuclear waste depository in southeastern New Mexico. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

OIL & GAS: A petroleum company plans to invest $3.1 billion to expand its natural gas infrastructure in the Permian Basin to accommodate anticipated production growth. (Journal of Petroleum Technology)

HYDROPOWER:

• The U.S. House passes a bill that would clear an Arizona utility’s way to expand a pumped hydropower energy storage facility on federal land. (E&E News, subscription)
• The Nez Perce Tribe plans to continue urging the federal government to aid salmon recovery by breaching hydropower dams in the Northwest. (Tri-City Herald)

POLITICS: The Republican-led U.S. House passes a bill that would slash environment-related spending and block higher royalty rates for oil and gas drilling on federal land. (S&P Global)

GRID: Pacific Gas & Electric brings a solar-plus-storage powered remote grid online at a nature preserve in northern California. (Electrek)

HYDROGEN: A California startup looks to jumpstart the hydrogen industry by developing a more efficient method of storing and transporting the fuel. (Forbes)