Biden gives big bucks to bolster battery supply chains

BATTERIES: The U.S. Energy Department awards a Colorado electric vehicle battery manufacturer $50 million as part of an effort to beef up the nation’s battery supply chain. (CPR)

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ALSO: The U.S. Energy Department awards a manganese and zinc mine under development in southern Arizona $166 million to spur production of the battery metals. (Arizona Daily Star)

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CLIMATE: A California report finds greenhouse gas emissions have dropped across all sectors in the state except residential and commercial, with transportation seeing the largest year-to-year decline as electric vehicle sales climb. (KTLA, news release)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• California advocates say slow grid connections are stifling electric truck charging infrastructure buildout and zero-emission big-rig adoption. (Canary Media)
• Industry observers blame a lack of a cohesive plan for Nevada failing to build out its electric vehicle charging infrastructure on schedule. (Nevada Independent)

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SOLAR:

• A western Colorado county approves new land-use regulations aimed at preserving agricultural areas by encouraging utility-scale solar development on previously disturbed land. (Telluride Daily Planet)
• A rural Nevada county pushes back on the federal Bureau of Land Management’s plan to open hundreds of thousands of acres to solar development, fearing it will become “an industrial park.” (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• A firm breaks ground on a 400 MW solar-plus-battery storage project in rural eastern Utah. (Solar Industry)
• California regulators schedule a public meeting on a proposed 1,150 MW solar-plus-battery storage system and green hydrogen generator in Fresno County. (news release)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on the proposed Copper Rays solar project in Nye County, Nevada. (news release)

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GRID: The Western power grid reached a record-breaking peak load on July 10 even though demand was relatively moderate on California’s system. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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WIND: A Hawaii wind facility’s operator says a new system designed to deter bats and prevent collisions with turbines has been successful so far. (Hawaii Public Radio)

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OIL & GAS:

• New Mexico regulators propose raising oil and gas permitting fees to help fund staff to process applications and enforce rules. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• New Mexico advocates warn that Project 2025, the right-wing playbook for a second Trump administration, calls for nixing the oil and gas drilling ban around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. (NM Political Report)

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URANIUM: The Navajo Nation and a mining company continue working to negotiate a deal that would allow uranium ore shipments across tribal land. (AZ Mirror)

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