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.

Electrical and energy capacity constraints in Nevada the week of August 17, 2020 resulted in an ongoing investigation by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, which is currently undertaking a deep examination into a variety of energy supply issues to prevent the situation from repeating…

The first new major casino in Las Vegas in over a decade opened June 24, and it did so with a plan in place to procure all of its energy from renewable resources—eventually.

Robert Balch has been researching the potential to store carbon dioxide underground in northwestern New Mexico for decades. His research makes a strong case for its feasibility, and both the U.S. Department of Energy and private industry are bullish on the prospect. More recently however, Ba…

Developers of what would be the world's largest coal-based carbon-capture project, originally planned to begin operation in 2022, now plan to continue operating the 847-MW San Juan Generating Station as a legacy coal plant until 2025.

New Mexico regulators this week took the first step toward establishing a community solar program for investor-owned utility customers in the state, but rules that will get the program up and running can't come soon enough for hundreds of developer applicants interested in taking advantage o…

The governors of Colorado and Nevada signed new energy legislation, including a law likely to nudge the West toward forming a regional transmission organization. Other legislation, including a Colorado bill tweaked at the last minute to avoid a veto, remains on their desks.

Colorado's largest utility has stepped back from its planned 2022 participation in the California Independent System Operator's Western Energy Imbalance Market and says it will work with other utilities in the state before making a decision about which wholesale market it will join.

A critical piece of energy legislation intended to prevent a repeat of the mid-February energy crisis that left millions in Texas without power during a widespread freeze and caused billions of dollars in damages has become law in the Lone Star State.

Colorado lawmakers on June 8 concluded their 2021 legislative session by sending to the governor a series of bills that build on legislation passed this year and in recent years to establish the state as a leader in reducing emissions and embracing the energy transition.

A bill that would set Nevada and its neighbors on a course to develop or join a regional transmission organization by 2030 now sits on the desk of Gov. Steve Sisolak. The sweeping legislation, which Sisolak is expected to sign, passed unanimously in the state’s Senate and with a strong major…

Nevada is set to become the first Southwestern state to go coal-free with the planned closure of the North Valmy Generating Station in 2025. NV Energy, the plant's operator and Nevada's sole investor-owned electric utility, in a filing with state regulators said it plans to replace the plant…

Arizona regulators at a May 26 meeting partially reversed course on energy rules they had weakened, then failed to pass just weeks ago. The state now joins its neighbors in having a carbon-free mandate following a bipartisan compromise that moved the goal post out 20 years.