Washington moves to join California-Quebec carbon market

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CLIMATE

• Washington state moves to combine its carbon cap-and-invest market with California and Quebec’s, a move expected to improve stability and lower prices once the linkage takes effect next year. (Washington State Standard)

DATA CENTERS

• Nexus Fulcrum proposes a 510-MW behind-the-meter gas plant in northern Nevada to power proposed hyperscale data centers. (Nevada Independent)

• Industry observers say California’s high electricity prices are keeping hyperscale data center developers from building in the state. (Los Angeles Times)

CLEAN ENERGY

• California lawmakers consider tacking a fee on utility-scale renewable power projects to fund pro-clean energy education, research, workforce development, and marketing campaigns. (Politico)

• California awards a $45 million tax credit to Graphene & Solar Technologies for its proposed silicon wafer manufacturing plant in Chula Vista. (news release)

FOSSIL FUELS

• A judge orders the federal government and Wyoming to repay energy companies $109 million for illegally approved oil and gas leases canceled by a court earlier this month. (WyoFile)

• Six oil and gas companies agree to pay $2 million in fines and contributions to public projects for filing falsified toxic substance data for 344 drilling sites in Colorado, but a regulator and advocates say the penalty is too low based on the state’s typical fine schedule. (Colorado Sun)

• New Mexico advocates push back on the Trump administration’s proposal to slash oil and gas reclamation bonds and public comment periods on leases, saying they are a giveaway to the industry. (Source NM)

• A federal Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sale in Utah brings in nearly $15 million for 39 parcels totaling 54,114 acres. (news release)

• Utah regulators tighten reclamation bonding requirements for oil and gas wells on state land. (UPR)

• TransAlta seeks tens of millions of dollars in reimbursement for costs incurred to comply with the Trump administration’s order to keep the Centralia coal plant in Washington on standby beyond its scheduled retirement date. (Washington State Standard)

• Wyoming regulators hold off on a proposal to eliminate standardized wildlife monitoring requirements at coal mines after widespread pushback. (WyoFile)

TRANSPORTATION

• California files a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s effort to roll back the state’s stricter-than-federal vehicle emissions standards. (Stateline)

NUCLEAR

• Colorado Springs’ municipal utility explores the viability of developing a nuclear reactor to help replace the retiring Ray Nixon coal plant. (CPR)

• Arizona utilities launch a study of possible sites for future nuclear reactors. (news release)

GEOTHERMAL

• The federal Bureau of Land Management approves the proposed 60-MW Pearl geothermal project in Esmeralda County, Nevada, using an accelerated 14-day environmental review. (news release)

UTILITIES

• Colorado utility Platte River Power teams up with EnergyHub to design and deploy a virtual power plant to support its increasingly renewable portfolio. (Utility Dive)

• A city-commissioned report finds a proposal to create a San Diego municipal utility would be economically and logistically feasible, but could come with an $8 billion price tag. (KPBS)

• Arizona Public Service says forecast high wildfire hazard could force it to implement public power safety outages in the Flagstaff and Grand Canyon areas this weekend. (KTAR)

CRITICAL MATERIALS

• South Korean engineering and infrastructure firms sign on to help Ioneer develop its proposed Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada. (Nevada Current)