Study: Coal plant pollution led to hundreds of deaths on Navajo Nation

COAL: A peer-reviewed study attributes coal power plant pollution to about 460,000 U.S. fatalities between 1999 and 2020, including at least 1,000 deaths on and near the Navajo Nation. (Arizona Republic)

ALSO: A California judge considers whether to allow a controversial proposed coal export terminal in Oakland to move forward after ruling last month that the city had thwarted the project. (KQED)

UTILITIES: Advocates laud Tri-State Generation & Transmission’s plan to shutter a northwestern Colorado coal plant two years ahead of schedule and add 1,250 MW of clean energy and battery storage capacity. (Colorado Sun)

SOLAR: California regulators slash compensation to solar-plus-battery system owners for discharging stored power back to the grid during peak demand. (Canary Media)

OIL & GAS: 

• The U.S. EPA finalizes rules aimed at reducing methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas facilities by phasing out routine flaring, establishing tighter standards on releases and requiring leak monitoring and repair. (Associated Press)
• A federal judge rejects environmentalists’ bid to halt winter construction on the Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska, saying the work will affect only a small area. (Associated Press)
• California advocates and officials worry some labor unions’ alliance with the oil and gas industry will slow efforts to achieve a just and clean energy transition in the state. (Politico)
• A New Mexico legislative committee urges state regulators to ban the use of PFAS, or forever chemicals, in oil and gas extraction. (NM Political Report)

CARBON CAPTURE: Southern California oil and gas producers formulate plans aimed at ensuring proposed carbon capture projects benefit rather than harm local communities. (Bakersfield Californian)

GRID:

• Clean energy developers run into interconnection traffic jams when trying to hook projects up to the California grid. (Bloomberg Law)
• Bonneville Power Administration postpones a decision on which Western day-ahead power market to join: the California grid operator’s or SPP’s. (RTO Insider)
• Heavy rains and winds batter utility lines in Oregon and Washington, leaving thousands of customers without power. (KOIN)

HYDROPOWER:

• Arizona utility Salt River Project advances a proposed 1,000 MW to 2,000 MW pumped hydropower storage project at an existing reservoir. (Arizona Republic)
• Western Montana electric cooperatives worry a proposal to breach four hydropower dams in the Northwest could affect their power supplies. (Ravalli Republic)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A southern California shipping port adds 33 battery-electric yard tractors to its fleet. (Hellenic Shipping News)
• Washington law enforcement officials warn of copper thieves targeting electric vehicle chargers. (KING 5)