News
In conservative Utah, some communities are ditching fossil fuel power for clean energy
1+ day, 14+ hour ago (1402+ words) NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are moving forward on climate solutions despite significant political headwinds. As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying…...
A new type of geothermal energy found in desert southwest
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (446+ words) An energy company based in Utah has discovered the first commercially viable "blind geothermal" system in the U. S. in decades. The recent surprise finding in the Nevada desert could provide enough energy to power a small city or data centers in…...
Mountain West states receive largest share of $4 billion in energy revenue
5+ mon, 2+ week ago (391+ words) U. S. states are getting about $4 billion in payments from the federal government this year from energy development revenue on federal land. The federal government collects these dollars from energy companies for rent, royalties and lease fees. Then it disperses some of…...
Colorado wants to build more geothermal energy networks. But it needs to build the workforce first
6+ mon, 2+ week ago (1026+ words) This is the third story in a three-part series, "Greener Pastures," which explores climate workforce development in rural Colorado. There"s a field near the airport in the tiny town of Hayden, Colorado, that may look like just a flat…...
USGS to partner with Mountain West states to identify critical minerals in mine waste
7+ mon, 2+ week ago (179+ words) The USGS has awarded nearly $3 million in cooperative agreements with 13 state geological surveys, including Arizona ($333, 117), Colorado ($70, 851), Idaho ($49, 625), Montana ($348, 841), Nevada ($349, 694), and New Mexico ($338, 099). Jamey Jones, science coordinator of the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, said the program will give decision-makers the…...
Energy Dept. tells employees not to use words including 'climate change' and 'green"
7+ mon, 2+ week ago (120+ words) The Department of Energy has told employees to avoid using certain words including "climate change," "green," and "sustainable," according to an internal email sent to staff and obtained by NPR. The email obtained by NPR instructs employees working on energy…...
Federal climate spending cuts mean big losses for ag science and the future of farming in Colorado
10+ mon, 6+ day ago (1042+ words) A sorghum field in eastern Colorado might be the last place you'd expect to find an array of lasers and highly sensitive scientific instruments. But that's the setup Jerry Hatfield was presenting to the crowd in Haxtun, Colo. at the…...
Federal cuts could put state geological surveys on shaky ground in the Mountain West
10+ mon, 3+ week ago (270+ words) State geological surveys use federal funds to map where mineral deposits and energy sources are located. These maps are used by mining companies, fossil fuel producers, geothermal developers, and even homebuilders. Simon Jowitt, Nevada's state geologist, said the federal government's…...
Great Basin's geothermal energy could produce 10% of the U. S. power supply, USGS says
11+ mon, 1+ week ago (278+ words) Currently, geothermal energy contributes less than 1% to the nation's power supply, according to the USGS. But, in a new report, the federal agency says there's a massive amount of untapped geothermal energy in the Great Basin, which includes most of…...