High demand depletes Washington state’s EV rebate program

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Washington state’s electric vehicle rebate program runs out of funds three times faster than expected after more than 6,000 residents take advantage of the incentives. (My Northwest)

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TRANSPORTATION: Los Angeles officials say a plan for a “car free” 2028 Olympic Games has run up against funding shortages, potentially forcing them to scuttle some proposed transit projects. (Los Angeles Times)

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COAL: The U.S. Supreme Court rejects Wyoming’s and 24 other states’ bid to pause Biden administration rules requiring power plants to slash greenhouse gas emissions, which could eventually force some facilities in the state to close. (WyoFile)

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CLIMATE:

• Legal experts say a conservative research group appears to be digging for dirt on backers of an Oregon county’s lawsuit seeking to hold oil and gas companies accountable for a deadly 2021 heat wave. (E&E News)  
• The developers of the nation’s first “carbon-positive” hotel in Denver grapple with dying seedlings they planted to become greenhouse gas sinks. (CPR)

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OIL & GAS:

• Observers say the outcome of November’s presidential election could determine whether the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is preserved or opened up for oil and gas drilling. (Washington Post)
• The Osage and Navajo Nations partner with the U.S. Energy Department to develop a framework for identifying undocumented orphaned oil and gas wells on tribal lands. (news release)

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PUBLIC LANDS: Advocates worry a second Trump administration would resume efforts to dismantle federal land management agencies, resulting in less oversight of oil and gas drilling and other development. (High Country News)

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EMISSIONS: The U.S. Energy Department awards a Colorado startup $52 million to build a low-carbon concrete-material manufacturing facility in a former coal town in Utah. (Canary Media)

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SOLAR:

• A developer proposes two 1,150 MW solar-plus-battery storage arrays in California’s Imperial and Central Valleys. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• California researchers monitor a solar array being installed over an irrigation canal to determine whether it reduces evaporation or interferes with canal operations. (Modesto Bee)

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MICROGRIDS: The U.S. Energy Department allocates $50 million to an effort to install battery-powered microgrids at California water utility sites. (news release)

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NUCLEAR: Utah and other Western states team up to create economic development plans around potential advanced nuclear reactor deployment. (Deseret News)

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COMMENTARY: A Colorado evangelical advocate says the “urgent crisis” of climate change should influence how Americans vote on all races and issues in November. (Colorado Newsline)

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