Trump fast-tracks proposed Wyoming coal mine expansion

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.

COAL

• The U.S. Interior Department plans to fast-track permitting for the Black Butte Coal Company’s proposed mine expansion in southwestern Wyoming. (news release)

• Wyoming lawmakers call on Congress to pass legislation that would allocate a larger share of federal coal royalties to the state after the budget reconciliation bill slashed royalty rates. (WyoFile)

NUCLEAR

• An investigation finds Pacific Gas & Electric may be unable to repay nearly half of a $1.4 billion California loan to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant running beyond its retirement date. (CalMatters)

• The U.S. EPA agrees to an Energy Department request to dig two new underground storage areas at a permanent burial site for radioactive materials in New Mexico. (Axios)

• Denver International Airport pauses studying the feasibility of building small modular nuclear reactors to power the facility following widespread pushback. (Denver 7)

SOLAR

• The U.S. EPA’s plan to rescind its $7 billion Solar for All program could deprive Wyoming of $30 million in federal funding. (Cowboy State Daily)

EFFICIENCY

• New Mexico’s Climate Investment Center launches a loan program to fund organizations’ efficiency and electrification upgrades and solar installations. (Albuquerque Journal)

OIL & GAS

• Washington state proposes heightened oil spill prevention rules for tankers and barges traveling through Puget Sound and adjacent waters. (Salish Current)

• Washington state regulators fine Liberty Marine Corporation $32,000 for a 2023 waste-oil spill in the Puget Sound. (news release)

• New Mexico regulators consider a contested oil and gas industry proposal to allow drillers to discharge treated wastewater into the environment and for livestock, non-food crops, and construction. (Source NM)

• Colorado’s oil and gas industry grapples with a law requiring more wastewater recycling without increasing overall emissions. (Inside Climate News)

• Colorado regulators say contaminants from a December gasoline pipeline spill in the southwestern part of the state are unlikely to reach the Animas River, but residents worry about groundwater impacts. (Colorado Sun)

• California advocates launch an ad campaign to counter the oil industry’s push to pressure state lawmakers to roll back climate policies and energy regulations. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Truck manufacturers file a lawsuit seeking to block the industry’s 2023 agreement with California to increase sales of zero-emissions vehicles, citing Congress’s rescission of the state’s clean truck rule. (E&E News)

• U.S. House Republicans accuse California of continuing to enforce its EV rules overturned by Congress earlier this year. (E&E News)

• Seattle startup Blue Dot Motorworks develops technology to convert gasoline and diesel vehicles into plug-in electric hybrids. (GeekWire)

• Colorado’s Energy Office allocates $5 million to build 52 EV charging stations throughout the state. (Big Pivots)

HYDROPOWER

• A federal court dismisses an environmental lawsuit alleging Eugene Water & Electric’s operation of its Oregon hydropower dam threatens endangered salmon and trout. (OPB)

DATA CENTERS

• Montana regulators begin gathering information on a forecast data center boom and an associated increase in electricity demand. (Daily Montanan)

STORAGE

• Portland General Electric brings online three battery energy storage systems totaling 475 MW to bolster reliability in the Oregon city. (Utility Dive)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Trump admin reopens $5B EV charging program after losses in court — Jeff St. John

• States look to unleash wind and solar boom while tax credits still exist — Maria Gallucci

• Trump’s push to mine deep-sea battery metals draws ire from allies — Clare Fieseler

• NYC utility tests portable home batteries to dull AC’s impact on the grid — Samantha Maldonado, THE CITY