Industry makes no bids for Arctic oil and gas leases

OIL & GAS: The U.S. Interior Department announces it received no bids for oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, saying industry’s lack of interest shows some places are “too special and sacred” for drilling. (Alaska Beacon)

‍

ALSO: The Biden administration rejects Hilcorp’s bid for more time to develop an offshore Arctic oil and gas project that has been stagnant since the 1990s, meaning its leases will expire at the end of the year. (Alaska Beacon)

‍

BIOFUELS: Oregon regulators greenlight a proposed $2.5 billion biofuel refinery along the Columbia River amid advocates’ concerns over environmental impacts. (Oregonian)

‍

COAL:

• Rocky Mountain Power cancels several Wyoming coal plants’ previously scheduled retirements, but plans to convert some of the units to run on natural gas. (Cowboy State Daily)
• A recently reopened underground coal mine in Utah struggles to find employees to fill some 350 positions, saying “the workforce just isn’t out there.” (High Country News)

‍

POLITICS: Right-wing Wyoming lawmakers introduce “make carbon great again” legislation that would block the state from designating the greenhouse gas as a pollutant and repeal carbon capture mandates. (WyoFile)

‍

GEOTHERMAL: The Biden administration plans to extend Endangered Species Act protections to a butterfly found only in a stretch of northern Nevada, potentially affecting future geothermal development. (Nevada Current)

‍

STORAGE: The U.S. Energy Department awards a firm a $1.76 billion conditional loan guarantee to fund a proposed 500 MW advanced compressed air energy storage system in southern California. (news release)

‍

ELECTRIFICATION: California startups successfully demonstrate their “watt diet” that uses smart circuit-splitters to electrify homes without expensive service or panel upgrades. (Quitting Carbon)

‍

CLIMATE: The Biden administration awards tribal nations and organizations $121 million to fund climate resilience planning. (news release)

‍

TRANSPORTATION: Daimler plans to stop selling large diesel trucks in Oregon over concerns it won’t meet the state’s advanced clean truck rule’s electric vehicle quota. (Willamette Week)

‍

UTILITIES: Analysts find NorthWestern Energy and Pacific Gas & Electric stand to profit from new data centers’ growing power demands in their service areas. (Utility Dive)

‍

POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA plans to lift sanctions imposed on Alaska for failing to address toxic emissions in Fairbanks after the state revised its air pollution plan. (Alaska Beacon)

‍

SOLAR: A developer begins construction on a 226 MW solar-plus-storage project in southeastern Nevada to provide power to Las Vegas casinos. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

‍

MICROGRIDS: A Wendy’s restaurant in California plans to install a solar-plus-storage powered microgrid. (Microgrid Knowledge)

‍

GRID: The Bonneville Power Administration says it is still weighing the pros and cons of joining a regional day-ahead power market after leaning towards SPP’s Markets+. (RTO Insider, subscription)

‍