Colorado biomass power plant shuttered

BIOFUELS: A Colorado power plant fueled by shredded beetle-killed trees shuts down, putting wildfire mitigation efforts on hold and raising questions about the viability of biofuel-generated electricity. (Colorado Sun)

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SOLAR:

• The U.S. Energy Department awards a Nevada firm up to $95 million to fund solar-plus-storage installations totaling 100 MW in capacity at two of its gold mines in the state. (Government Technology)  
• Developers bring the 125 MW Yellow Pine solar project online in southern Nevada, with a portion of the power going to a California community choice aggregator. (news release)

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GEOTHERMAL: A Nevada gold mine considers adding geothermal generation to an existing natural gas plant in an effort to decarbonize its operations. (news release)

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EFFICIENCY: An Alaska-backed housing lender offers $10,000 rebates for new energy-efficient homes. (Alaska Public Media)

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UTILITIES:

• Wyoming lawmakers kill legislation that would limit utilities’ wildfire-related liabilities if they conduct hazard mitigation work, saying the bill was too complex to advance. (WyoFile)
• California advocates question the efficacy and viability of utilities’ wildfire hazard mitigation efforts, saying burying power lines is too costly and takes too long. (CalMatters)
• Portland General Electric says rising wholesale power costs are driving rate hikes after U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden queried the utility over rising utility bills. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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CLIMATE: Climate change-exacerbated extreme heat adds urgency to efforts to bring electricity to some 13,000 off-grid Navajo Nation homes. (KUNR)  

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California startup Aptera launches a crowdfunding campaign to bring its solar-powered electric vehicle to production. (Inside EVs)

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BATTERIES: A California startup plans to begin manufacturing lithium-sulfur batteries at its Bay Area facility next year, saying they are cheaper and require less mined material than lithium-ion ones. (Heatmap)

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TRANSITION: Los Angeles County votes to develop a plan aimed at helping displaced workers and communities weather Phillips 66’s petroleum refinery’s planned 2025 closure. (Daily Breeze)

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TRANSPORTATION: Colorado officials expect a proposal to extend a passenger rail line to the northwestern part of the state will survive the incoming Trump administration’s funding cuts. (Aspen Times)

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POLITICS: U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, of Arizona, steps down as the House Natural Resources Committee’s ranking Democrat, which oversees energy development and mining on federal lands. (Arizona Capitol Times)

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COMMENTARY:

• A Colorado advocate says the incoming Trump administration cannot stop the state from fighting climate change, protecting public lands from oil and gas drilling and enacting air pollution regulations. (Colorado Newsline)
• A commentator calls for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s closure, and suggests replacing lost generation with California’s excess solar power. (Counterpunch)

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