Western Price Survey
Regulation Status
Regional Roundup
01.14.2022 (No. 1675) 01.07.2022 (No. 1674) 12.23.2021 (No. 1673) 12.17.2021 (No. 1672) 12.10.2021 (No. 1671) 12.03.2021 (No. 1670) 11.24.2021 (No. 1669) 11.19.2021 (No. 1668) 11.12.2021 (No. 1667) 11.05.2021 (No. 1666) 10.29.2021 (No. 1665) 10.22.2021 (No. 1664) 10.15.2021 (No. 1663) 10.08.2021 (No. 1662) 10.01.2021 (No. 1661) 09.24.2021 (No. 1660) 09.17.2021 (No. 1659) 09.10.2021 (No. 1658) 09.03.2021 (No. 1657)
CEC Approves Clean-Grid Funds as Surge Looms for Natural Gas-Fired Power
California Regulators Propose New Restrictions on Gas Hookups and Payment Plans
PNM, Avangrid Will Accept All NMPRC Conditions in $8-Billion Merger Proposal
House Passes 10-Year Budget Bill
Quick Bites: Energy News Roundup
The State of New Mexico on Nov. 12 released a draft of the Hydrogen Hub Act, a 28-page document designed to guide the state's future hydrogen production, distribution and usage. Among the issues addressed are standards for the composition of hydrogen that consider the carbon intensity of its… Read More
FERC, States Kick Off New Task Force Focused on Transmission Buildout
The federal government is increasing its focus on transmission planning and construction, working more closely with states including those in the West, where increasing coordination is going to be needed for grid resilience, renewables integration, and to meet demand growth. Read More
Ongoing Constraints, New Outages Suppress Western Natural Gas Prices
Additional pressure on Western natural gas prices sent values higher, with some hubs jumping by more than a dollar as weather and outages affected transmission. Read More
California energy officials this week approved more than $1 billion to fund clean energy and transportation programs amid discussion of potential increases in natural gas generation capacity in the coming years. Read More
The Golden State's building-decarbonization efforts took a possible step forward with a proposal by the California Public Utilities Commission recommending elimination of subsidies for new natural gas hookups, as well as other measures. Read More
Microgrid Grant Keeps the Wheels on LADOT Buses Going Round and Round
The California Energy Commission awarded a $6-million grant to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to fund a solar and storage microgrid for charging its growing electric bus fleet. Read More
NOAA Seeks Marine Sanctuary Designation for Area Off Central Coast
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking public comment on a proposed new national marine sanctuary in a 7,000-square-mile area off the Central California coast along San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Read More
TerraPower Selects PacifiCorp's Retiring Naughton Plant as Site for Demo Reactor
TerraPower has selected Kemmerer, Wyoming, near PacifiCorp's retiring coal-fired Naughton Power Plant, as the site of its Natrium nuclear reactor demonstration project, the Bellevue, Washington-based company announced Nov. 16. Read More
Improvements in Western Drought Conditions Continue
Despite warmer-than-normal conditions across much of the western U.S., rains continued to improve drought conditions. Read More
Drilling Begins at Desert Lithium Site
Controlled Thermal Resources began drilling the first two wells at its Hell's Kitchen Lithium and Power project in Imperial County, California, kicking off the first stage of what is being touted as the first facility to fully integrate geothermal energy production and lithium extraction. Read More
Powering Past Coal Alliance Expands at COP26, Adds New Mexico
As the energy industry continues to reflect on the recently concluded 26th Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland, one of the leading stories from the two-week United Nations climate conference is the continued growth of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a global organization of gover… Read More
Public Service Company of New Mexico and Avangrid, seeking to seal their $8.3-billion merger transaction, filed late last week in New Mexico to eliminate remaining obstacles to the deal. Read More
NMPRC Staff: PNM Transfer of Four Corners to NTEC Likely to Bring Net Benefit
A New Mexico Public Regulation Commission hearing examiner says that Public Service Company of New Mexico's plan to transfer its 13-percent ownership stake in the Four Corners Power Plant to a Navajo Nation-owned company in 2024 would likely result in a net public benefit despite not leading… Read More
Federal Report Urges Winter Prep, Increased Connection Study for ERCOT
The nation's top energy regulator says "significant work" must be done to ensure against cold-weather disruptions of the nation's power grid, as experienced earlier this year in Texas and other parts of the south-central U.S. Read More
Utility Equipment Sparked Late-Season Colorado Fire That Killed Air Tanker Pilot
A Colorado wildfire burning near Rocky Mountain National Park appears to have been ignited by municipally owned utility equipment in the area. An experienced air tanker pilot fighting the fire lost his life in a crash on the evening of Nov. 16. Read More
The House on Nov. 19 passed a 10-year, $1.75-trillion budget bill that would fund Biden administration climate, health, education and housing programs, including $555 billion in tax changes and spending aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Read More