Young Montana climate advocates target Yellowstone River gas plant

CLIMATE: Young Montana advocates who won a landmark climate change case against the state earlier this year call on the courts to invalidate an air quality permit for a controversial natural gas plant near the Yellowstone River. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Seattle’s outgoing city council forms a committee exclusively focused on curbing greenhouse gas emissions from large buildings. (KNKX)

CLEAN ENERGY: Leaked documents indicate the Biden administration is willing to help build new clean energy projects to replace hydropower lost if four Northwest dams are breached to help salmon recovery. (Associated Press)

WIND: A northern California county and the Pit River Tribe file a lawsuit aimed at blocking the state from permitting a proposed wind facility the county has twice denied. (Redding Record Searchlight)

SOLAR:

• Hawaiian Electric and a developer cancel a proposed 15 MW solar-plus-storage project in Maui, citing legal challenges, environmental opposition and supply-chain constraints. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
• A California startup develops AI-powered permitting software aimed at expediting rooftop solar deployment. (Canary Media)
• A developer secures $1.3 billion in financing for a 683 MW solar project in Utah that will provide power to Meta. (Power Technology)

TRANSMISSION: The federal Bureau of Land Management allows construction to resume on a segment of the SunZia transmission line in southern Arizona after halting work to consult with tribal nations on cultural impacts. (KJZZ)

UTILITIES:

• Oregon regulators plan to investigate PacifiCorp’s request to limit the utility’s liability in future wildfire-related lawsuits, delaying a decision on the proposal by up to nine months. (Reuters)
• Colorado regulators seek public input on Xcel Energy’s $44.2 billion electric resource plan. (Denver Gazette)

OIL & GAS: 

• Alaska utilities are wary of investing in uncertain drilling projects in the North Slope even though a natural gas shortage is imminent. (Northern Journal)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on proposed oil and gas lease sales in Nevada, New Mexico and Montana and the Dakotas. (Rigzone)

COAL: A Wyoming coal mine lays off 19 workers as the power plant it supplies prepares to be converted to burn natural gas. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Washington state advocates call on lawmakers to increase access to electric vehicles by rescinding a ban on automakers selling directly to consumers. (KING 5)

BATTERIES: A California battery parts manufacturer begins work on a 600,000 square-foot silicon anode production facility in Washington state with the help of federal funds. (Spokesman-Review)

NUCLEAR: California regulators prepare to vote on the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operating beyond its scheduled 2025 retirement date, spurring debate over safety, costs and necessity. (San Diego Union-Tribune)