Wyoming lawmakers consider radioactive waste storage

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NUCLEAR

• Wyoming lawmakers consider legislation that would allow advanced nuclear reactor firms to store high-level radioactive waste onsite and clear the way for a contested proposed microreactor manufacturing facility near Casper. (WyoFile)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Hilcorp oil and gas company seeks federal permission to accidentally kill or injure critically endangered beluga whales and other marine mammals while drilling in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. (E&E News)

• U.S. Interior Department officials laud Sable Offshore for resuming oil and gas production without necessary state permits from platforms off California’s coast that were involved in a 2015 spill, calling it a ​“comeback story for Pacific production.” (E&E News)

• Colorado advocates say oil and gas leasing provisions in the recently passed Republican tax and spending bill are an ​“egregious step back for the environment.” (Colorado Newsline)

• Taxpayers for Common Sense finds reduced federal oil and gas royalty rates will lead to a loss of $52.1 million from 7,052 acres of parcels recently leased in New Mexico. (news release)

DATA CENTERS

• Pacific Gas & Electric and San Jose agree to work together to attract data centers and other large power users to California’s South Bay in exchange for the city dropping plans to form its own electric utility. (KQED)

• The U.S. Energy Department seeks private firms to develop AI data centers and related power infrastructure on the Idaho National Laboratory and three other federal sites. (Data Center Dynamics, news release)

CLEAN ENERGY

• California environmental justice advocates team up to ensure the planned 1,150 MW Darden solar-plus-storage project on Fresno County agricultural land benefits nearby communities. (Fresno Bee)

• Enphase Power brings its 185 MW Escape solar-plus-storage facility online in Nevada to provide power to Las Vegas casinos and resorts. (Energy Storage News)

STORAGE

• Pacific Gas & Electric agrees to purchase 1,800 GWh of battery storage capacity from Aypa Power. (Energy Storage News)

UTILITIES

• Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes criticizes the federally run power utility San Carlos Irrigation Project for frequent power outages, calling them a ​“stunning failure” of oversight and accountability. (KPNX)

• Western Colorado utility Holy Cross Energy says clean energy sources provided 96% of its load this May, but Trump administration policies and global economics threaten further progress on its decarbonization goals. (Colorado Sun)

CLIMATE

• Federal lawmakers from Oregon call on the Trump administration to rescind an executive order aimed at blocking state climate action laws, saying it could further delay Multnomah County’s $52 billion lawsuit against oil and gas companies. (OPB)

• Denver launches an ad campaign aimed at encouraging and empowering residents to fight climate change and to stifle environmental fatalism. (Denverite)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• The California Transportation Commission votes to spend $94 million to build more than 500 electric truck charging ports along the state’s busiest trade corridors. (Planetizen)

GRID

• The Western Energy Markets Governing Body votes to allow energy imbalance market members to continue accessing energy transfers when they lack sufficient capacity to meet demand. (Public Power)

COMMENTARY

• A Colorado energy researcher pushes back on proposed nuclear reactors in the state, citing their high costs, long lead times, and lack of flexibility. (Colorado Newsline)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• As rooftop solar gets hammered, virtual power plants offer a way forward — Jeff St. John

• Energy bill could cost North Carolina billions in lost investments and jobs — Elizabeth Ouzts

• EVs had a decent quarter. The next could be record-breaking. — Kathryn Krawczyk