Study: Billions of dollars lost to drought-diminished hydropower

HYDROPOWER: A study finds climate change-exacerbated drought has diminished hydropower production in Western states, leading to billions of dollars in economic losses and increased natural gas generation. (Energy Mix)

SOLAR: A Hawaii cooperative establishes a community-owned solar system aimed at bringing down power prices and achieving energy sovereignty. (Grist)

GRID:

• Arizona’s largest utilities credit new generation capacity, battery storage and electricity trading for helping their grids weather record-high peak power demand in early August. (Arizona Republic)
• An oversight agency predicts increasing data center-driven electricity load on the Western grid will outpace generation growth in the coming decade. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• California labor groups support a proposal to establish a regionally governed transmission organization and day-ahead power market. (RTO Insider, subscription) 

MINING:

• Arizona advocates and residents worry a predicted clean energy metal mining boom will deplete and contaminate largely unregulated groundwater supplies. (Inside Climate News)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards a private-public partnership $1 million to develop a proposed lithium extraction project in southeastern Utah. (Investing News Network)
• A firm begins rehabilitating a long-idled uranium mine in southern Utah as federal analysts note a slight uptick in sluggish domestic ore production. (World Nuclear News, S&P Global)

UTILITIES:

• Alaska regulators consider a sweeping rate case that would guide the state’s approach to a looming natural gas shortage and could shape its energy future. (Northern Journal)
• Wyoming’s largest utility seeks a 14.7% rate hike, citing renewable energy investments and rising wildfire liability insurance costs. (WyoFile)

WIND: West Coast advocates join other groups to form a national coalition aimed at pushing back on offshore wind development. (E&E News, subscription)

BIOFUELS: A northern California nonprofit secures financing for a proposed 5 MW biomass plant that would process forest restoration project waste. (Renewable Energy)

CLIMATE:

• Nevada lawmakers and advocates slam Gov. Joe Lombardo’s new climate plan, saying it lacks specific and actionable objectives and timelines for accomplishing them. (Nevada Independent)
• Data show this July was California’s hottest month on record, increasing wildfire hazard and straining the power grid. (Los Angeles Times)

CARBON CAPTURE: Calpine enters a cost-share agreement with the U.S. Energy Department to fund a carbon capture demonstration project at a natural gas plant in California. (Power Engineering)

PUBLIC LAND: The federal Bureau of Land Management issues a proposed plan that would guide renewable energy development and oil and gas drilling on 730,000 acres in New Mexico. (news release)