Federal lands' clean energy advancement faces potential deceleration under Trump's administration
In the dynamic world of energy, several significant developments are taking place across the western United States.
In Arizona, plans for a modular home builder to establish a manufacturing facility at the defunct Navajo coal plant site have been canceled due to contractual breaches, delays, and political interference from the Navajo Nation. Meanwhile, a solar power plant and storage system on Navajo Nation lands in Chapter Cameron and Coalmine Canyon is being developed by 174 Power Global.
Navajo Nation lawmakers have approved a lease with Painted Desert Power for a proposed 750 MW solar-plus-storage system and a transmission line. This move aligns with the U.S. Interior Department's decision to subject proposed renewable energy projects on federal lands to extra scrutiny.
In Colorado, a quasi-independent, legislature-created organization is proposing the study of three new potential transmission projects. This is part of a broader push for renewable energy projects, as the U.S. Court of Appeals recently dismissed environmentalists' bid to overturn more than 4,000 federal oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming.
California's clean energy industry is asking state lawmakers to streamline solar and wind permitting and allow more facilities on agricultural lands. A UCLA study found that Los Angeles' low-income communities contain about 70% fewer electric vehicle chargers per capita than more affluent neighborhoods, highlighting the need for increased infrastructure to support clean energy adoption.
In the realm of innovation, California startup Pacific Fusion is considering establishing its nuclear fusion research and development facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Elsewhere in the state, the New Mexico oil and gas industry group petitioned state regulators to allow drillers to discharge treated wastewater into waterways.
The U.S. EPA moves to prevent Colorado from forcing utilities to shutter coal plants to improve air quality, and Republican federal lawmakers from Alaska introduced legislation to repeal Biden-era land-use plans that restricted drilling on public lands in the state.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state will challenge the Trump administration's decision to revoke $4 billion in federal funding for the state's high-speed rail project. Furthermore, columnist Sammy Roth urges California lawmakers and environmentalists to back a regionally governed transmission organization and day-ahead power market.
Lastly, General Motors will supply Nevada battery recycler Redwood Materials with new and used EV batteries for grid-scale energy storage systems, marking a step forward in the circular economy of electric vehicles.
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