Western day-ahead power market goes live

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.

GRID

• California’s grid operator and PacifiCorp launch their regional Extended Day-Ahead Market, giving them and other member utilities greater access to energy resources across the West to meet forecast demand. (Inside Climate News, Oregonian, Public Power)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Ebon Solar cancels its $942 million solar cell manufacturing facility planned for Albuquerque, citing ​“federal policy constraints” and considerations related to foreign investment. (Albuquerque Journal)

• California advocates say the Trump administration’s plan to buy out Golden State Wind’s offshore leases along the state’s coast for $120 million and require the firm to spend the funds on oil and gas drilling amounts to ​“taking a personal preference and making it policy.” (KQED)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Hilcorp ends its contested oil exploratory project in Alaska’s Yukon River watershed earlier than expected, but does not announce any petroleum discoveries. (Northern Journal)

• A Wyoming economist says the proposed cross-border ​“Keystone Light” oil pipeline could bring significant new jobs and tax revenues to the state, but advocates say the short-term economic benefits aren’t worth the environmental risk. (Cowboy State Daily)

• California advocates launch a marketing campaign opposing Trump administration policies pushing for new offshore oil and gas drilling off the state’s coast. (Times of San Diego)

HYDROGEN

• Environmental and consumer advocates laud California regulators’ decision to reject SoCalGas’s proposal to collect $266 million from ratepayers to fund a hydrogen pipeline network, saying there are better ways to decarbonize industry. (Canary Media)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Utah State University researchers begin field-testing wireless in-road EV charging technology. (KSL)

HYDROPOWER

• The Idaho National Laboratory develops an online tool to help integrate hydropower projects into existing irrigation canals. (news release)

STORAGE

• Southern California residents and advocates push back against a 400-MW battery energy storage facility under development in the City of Industry, citing fears of fire risk and the potential for related data center development. (LAist)

• San Benito County, California’s supervisors extend a moratorium on new grid-scale battery energy storage systems to allow more time to develop regulations for the facilities. (BenitoLink)

DATA CENTERS

• A Utah researcher estimates a proposed 9-GW natural gas plant to power a hyperscale data center complex planned for Box Elder County would increase the state’s carbon emissions by more than 50%. (Utah News Dispatch)

• New Mexico residents push back on Green Data Centers’ proposed 2-GW server farm and 10-GW solar array in Socorro, citing potential environmental impacts. (KRWG)

COMMENTARY

• Former Utah lawmakers urge policymakers to adopt proposed oil and gas reclamation bonding rules, saying they would ​“better align financial assurance with actual risk.” (Salt Lake Tribune)