Trump axes Arizona utility’s $1.8 billion clean energy loan

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

OIL & GAS

• A federal judge rejects environmental and Indigenous advocates’ bid to block ConocoPhillips’ proposed winter exploration program on Alaska’s North Slope, saying the federal Bureau of Land Management had adequately analyzed and addressed potential impacts. (E&E News)

• Republican California lawmakers call for a special legislative session to address Valero’s planned April closure of its petroleum refinery in Benicia, saying it will threaten supply lines and increase gasoline prices. (Fox 40)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A study finds that the Gemini solar installation in southern Nevada has not significantly harmed the imperiled threecorner milkvetch and that the array’s shade may even benefit the plant. (Grist)

• Tribal nations look to salvage planned solar and wind projects via philanthropy and traditional financing after the Trump administration clawed back billions of dollars in federal grants. (Canary Media)

• Imperial County, California’s supervisors approve zone changes clearing the way for the proposed Seville 4 and 5 solar-plus-storage projects. (Imperial Valley Press)

GRID

• The U.S. Energy Department scraps a $1.8 billion Biden-era federal loan to Arizona Public Service that would have financed new renewable power projects, grid-integrated battery storage systems, and transmission construction and upgrades. (Utility Dive)

COAL

• Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and advocacy groups petition the Trump administration to rescind its ​“emergency” order keeping the Craig coal plant running beyond its planned Dec. 31 retirement date, saying the order will result in unnecessary costs and pollution. (Colorado Sun)

• The Centralia coal plant in Washington state remains shut down even though the Trump administration ordered it to continue operating until at least the end of March. (OPB)

ELECTRIFICATION

• A New Mexico real estate developer says he stopped installing gas lines to his developments and electrified all of the homes because it reduced hassle and costs. (New York Times)

UTILITIES

• The Pasadena Jewish Temple files a lawsuit accusing Southern California Edison’s equipment of sparking last January’s deadly Eaton Fire, which destroyed the congregation’s sanctuary and other structures. (Los Angeles Times)

• Colorado fire districts accuse Xcel Energy equipment of sparking two December wildfires near Boulder after the utility re-energized lines without checking for damage. (Times-Call)

• Montana residents criticize NorthWestern Energy’s proposed integrated resource plan, saying it relies too heavily on fossil fuels, ignores climate change, and is based on suspect modeling. (Daily Montanan)

GEOTHERMAL

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks nominations of public land tracts in Idaho for its November 2027 competitive geothermal lease sale. (news release)

DATA CENTERS

• Controlled Thermal Resources proposes a utility-scale geothermal energy complex at its southern California facilities to power hyperscale data centers and other large industrial loads. (AZO Cleantech)

• Renewable energy firm Exowatt launches a branch focused on providing land and its P3 solar-plus-storage technology to data centers, with a focus on the Southwest. (Utility Dive)

STORAGE

• ENGIE pauses its proposed 1,000 MW Compass battery energy storage system’s application with the state’s fast-track permitting process following strident local opposition. (Politico)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Washington state’s Transportation Department awards five entities $12.1 million in federal funding to build and operate electric vehicle charging stations at 14 locations. (Washington State Standard)