An Xcel subsidiary serving southeastern New Mexico and West Texas plans to stick to a retirement and conversion schedule for two coal-fired power plants in its portfolio, despite the "irreversible decline" of an aquifer that provides water to one 1,000-MW coal plant as well as farms and comm…

A controversial billion-dollar thermal solar plant in the Nevada desert is back in operation amid continuing litigation and following federal loan defaults, numerous technical problems, a complex bankruptcy and the loss of its contracted customer.

January is traditionally a month of resolutions and new beginnings, and for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, January 2021 signaled the ushering in of a new era as Elise Jones, a former Boulder County, Colorado, commissioner, took over as executive director of SWEEP, replacing founder…

The Arizona Corporation Commission, at a three-day meeting dedicated to reviewing the proposed rate case of the state's largest utility, voted to reduce a rate of return on equity for coal investments. However the commission punted on a highly anticipated decision regarding "just transition"…

Both electric and gas utilities that rely on natural gas delivery from Texas' Permian Basin could find themselves paying bloated prices or facing shortages of the fuel should another cold snap hit the region this coming winter.

The role of copper as a relevant resource has been long overlooked in the discussion of clean energy, renewables and electric vehicles, both outside and inside the state of Arizona, also known as the Copper State.

One author of a controversial analysis that suggests transitioning to 100-percent carbon-free power in Arizona in the coming decades could raise costs told regulators that predictions in the study become less reliable the further out they are.

A former chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission who is running as a Democrat to be that state's attorney general said her goal is to make climate change a major priority of the office. Kris Mayes announced her candidacy in late June.

Problems with Arizona's natural gas infrastructure that caused a recent explosion and a significant gas leak came down to faulty record-keeping, Southwest Gas officials told regulators at a meeting this week.

Arizona's Salt River Project further progressed toward its long-term clean-energy targets by signing a solar energy contract and bringing the state's largest battery energy storage system on line.

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada at a Sept. 23 meeting expedited the approval of upgrades to three natural gas facilities that NV Energy says will increase output, efficiency and operational flexibility while reducing fuel consumption and contributing to resource adequacy by summer 2022.

Arizona's second-largest utility narrowly approved a nearly $1-billion expansion in natural gas generating capacity despite pronounced opposition and concerns over the potential for stranded assets.

CORE Electric Cooperative on Sept. 7 filed suit against Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy subsidiary, in Colorado District Court, for breach of contract based on its operation and maintenance of the Comanche 3 coal-fired generating plant in Pueblo.

Arizona is moving forward with important developments regarding the adoption and implementation of electric vehicles, with new government and utility programs in its two major cities.

A federal judge cleared the way for mine developers to complete a preliminary requirement that could affect the construction schedule of what would be the nation's largest lithium mine.

In the midst of a summer in the West filled with rising gasoline prices and downed power lines due to wildfires and monsoons, the advancement of electric vehicles has taken a back seat to these emergency situations. The Desert Southwest, however, has made some significant EV advancements tha…

A federal judge is considering a motion from tribal groups in Nevada to halt the progress of a proposed lithium mine in the state that could ensure a reliable domestic source of the raw material.

A Colorado municipal utility last week ceased burning coal at a plant that has operated in the community since 1925.

A wholesale generation and transmission cooperative, in response to concerns from federal regulators and its own membership, proposed modifications that would make it easier for members considering early exit from their contracts to determine the economic impact of that departure.

Arizona's second-largest utility hopes to add more than 800 MW of capacity at a natural gas peaker plant located in the Phoenix metropolitan area's Southeast Valley to help ensure reliability in the rapidly growing region.

New Mexico regulators are questioning the retirement of baseload coal and nuclear generation in the portfolio of the state's largest utility, despite plans for abandonment of those resources already being finalized or in process.

The Arizona Corporation Commission on Aug. 18 unanimously approved a rate rider for Arizona Public Service that is designed to allow the utility's commercial and industrial customers to purchase electricity generated from newly built renewable resources while lowering rates for customers not…

An Oregon company developing small modular nuclear reactors is exploring plans to work with Xcel Energy as the operator of future power plants using its technology.

New Mexico environmental and community groups on Aug. 17 reached an agreement with El Paso Electric to withdraw their legal case challenging the utility's application for an air permit for a new, 228-MW natural gas unit at its Newman Generating Station in El Paso, Texas.

Hearings on the proposed merger between Public Service Company of New Mexico, the state's largest utility, and Avangrid, the utility arm of Spanish multinational energy company Iberdrola, began this week before the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission without representation by Iberdrola's…

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved a wholesale rate settlement between Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and its 42 utility members in four states, resolving the first major rate case the wholesale power provider has filed since becoming subject to fed…

A Vermont-based renewable-energy retailer that serves customers in Texas, Illinois and five states in the eastern U.S. has applied to operate in the service territories of Arizona's two largest investor-owned utility monopolies.

With Phoenix, Arizona, being the nation's fifth-largest city and metropolitan area with a constant influx combination of out-of-staters and "snowbird" winter residents, emissions reduction is vital for the fast-growing Grand Canyon State.

Executives from New Mexico's largest utility told regulators at a July 28 meeting they could face resource-adequacy issues in summer 2022 as pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and rising prices for solar panels collide with plans to close a large coal-fired power plant.

A 505-MW coal-fired power plant in Colorado is back in operation after spending several days off line due to a fire in its coal storage facility.

Seasonal storms unleashed their wrath once again on Arizona utility infrastructure, toppling dozens of poles in Tucson and Phoenix but also bringing rain to the drought-stricken area.

A pending merger between New Mexico's largest utility and the U.S. subsidiary of a Spanish multinational energy company came under increased scrutiny with the revelation of a Spanish legal investigation into Iberdrola's chief executive and alleged corruption by the state’s attorney general.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association on July 19 asked federal regulators for more time to file a modified contract-termination payment methodology that would simplify the exit process for its utility members interested in exploring the option of terminating their contracts early.

With its status as one of the fastest-warming cities in North America, Reno, Nevada, implemented a comprehensive program to increase energy efficiency in both commercial and multifamily buildings.

Texas' grid operator said it would consider increasing coordination with other power regions, incorporate solar forecasts into its modeling and integrate more distributed resources and energy storage into the state's minimally regulated system to improve reliability.

A cooling tower at a New Mexico coal plant destined to close in less than a year collapsed June 30, straining power supplies in the region and adding unexpected expenses for its utility owners, who say they will repair the unit and bring the plant back on line.

Arizona regulators are contending with rising temperatures and an increase in heat-related deaths, including two this year that occurred after electric service was disconnected during hot weather, as a two-year effort to establish rules prohibiting utilities from disconnecting power during e…

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on July 2 signed into law a bill amended late in the Colorado General Assembly's 2021 session to include enforcement language to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the state's investor-owned electric utilities.

New Mexico regulators acknowledged at a meeting June 30 that efforts to revise the state's integrated resource planning process could require more time and effort than originally anticipated.

Federal regulators dealt a mixed hand to a Colorado-based wholesale power cooperative in proceedings regarding exit fee calculations and a settlement agreement pending between the power provider and its members.