Energy

Nuclear Weapons Council Commemorates Pit Production Milestone At Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Marv Adams, deputy administrator for Defense Programs for the National Nuclear Security Administration, speaks to Laboratory employees as part of the Nuclear Weapons Council’s visit in November to Los Alamos to celebrate the first production unit of the plutonium pit for the W87-1. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

In November 2024, the Nuclear Weapons Council, staff and affiliates visited Los Alamos National Laboratory to mark the first production unit of a W87-1 plutonium pit, an achievement for the United States that hasn’t been accomplished since the 1980s.

The daylong visit included a tour Read More

Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Awarded $231 Million For Construction Of 104 MW Of Renewable Energy

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KCEC News:

TAOS — Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) has received $231 million in investment funding for green hydrogen-driven power generation. The new renewable energy facility will enhance power distribution system resiliency for the entire KCEC service area.

About the New Era Investment’s Expected Impact for KCEC

  • Funds a project that will generate 104 MW of energy from 100% renewable resources and provide a solution for long-duration energy storage
  • New power generation and storage facilities expected to power approximately 25,000 homes 
  • Construction expected to generate
Read More

DPU To Launch ‘Voice Of The Customer’ Survey Monday

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Following the 2024 survey, DPU was presented with a Customer Satisfaction bronze-level award by the American Public Power Association. Many of the Voice of the Customer Survey questions are benchmarked by APPA and responses to those questions put DPU among 20 public power providers nationwide to receive the award. Courtesy/DPU

COUNTY News:

Let your voice be heard, utility customers! The Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is kicking off its annual “Voice of the Customer” survey on Monday, Jan. 13  to measure customer satisfaction and engagement in areas such as quality, reliability Read More

NM Economic Development Dept. Announces Advanced Energy Award Pilot Program Now Accepting Applications

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EDD News:

SANTA FE — Applications are now being accepted for the Advanced Energy Award Pilot Program from the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD).

The New Mexico Advanced Energy Award Pilot Program is a competitive state-funded grant that awards non-dilutive funds to New Mexico small businesses for advanced energy innovation and commercialization research and development. The grant funding will assist early-stage companies developing a unique product with strong growth potential. Selected businesses will be awarded between $250,000 and $1,000,000.

Applications are Read More

Heinrich Issues Statement Concerning Breach Of Protocol And Precedent By Committee On Energy And Natural Resources Ahead Of Cabinet Nomination Hearing

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From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

          • Hearing notice issued Tuesday night by Chairman Lee fails to include minority consent, a breach of decades-long Senate protocol and precedent
          • Committee has yet to receive essential information from nominees, including a completed financial disclosure form and FBI background check, to fulfill Senate’s advice and consent constitutional duties

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement after Chairman Lee issued a hearing notice Read More

New Mexico Environment Department Secures Funding For Mobile Air Monitoring Lab From Legal Settlement

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NMED News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is enhancing its ability to monitor air quality with a new mobile air monitoring lab, funded by a $500,000 legal settlement between conservation group WildEarth Guardians and OXY USA Inc., one of the largest oil and gas producers in the country.

The funding will allow NMED to purchase the lab, equip it with supplies, and cover start-up costs, including personnel and operational needs.

The mobile lab will be able to test air quality and weather conditions in real time in the Permian Basin, a region that produces nearly 40% of the Read More

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Appoints Former State Sen. Greg Nibert To New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

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Former State Sen. Greg Nibert

From the Office of the Governor:

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced the appointment of former state Sen. Greg Nibert to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) for a six-year term beginning today, Jan. 1, 2025.

Nibert will succeed Commissioner James Ellison, whose term concluded Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.

“I am honored to be nominated to the Public Regulation Commission,” Nibert said. “My duty as a commissioner will be to regulate our utilities according to the laws of the land, which includes, first and foremost, the Energy Transition Read More

Los Alamos County Dept. Of Public Utilities To Participate In Peer-Learning Cohort To Prepare For Microgrids

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COUNTY News:

The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will participate in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) peer-learning cohort to support grid modernization and resiliency within the Los Alamos County electric production and distribution systems.

Over 6 months, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and World Resources Institute (WRI) will convene 37 entities across 23 states and Tribal entities in three separate peer-learning cohorts to learn from each other and energy experts about best practices for addressing common Read More

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Named Ranking Member Of Senate Energy And Natural Resources Committee

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has been named Ranking Member for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee for the 119th Congress.

The ENR Committee plays a critical role in setting national energy policies and managing our nation’s public lands within the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. The Committee also oversees the U.S. Department of Energy and has jurisdiction over U.S. territories and nuclear waste policy. 

“I am honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve as Ranking Read More

Los Alamos Conducts First Critical Experiment Using High Assay Low Enriched Uranium In Decades

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Deimos team members in front of their experiment in the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

A research team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) recently performed the first critical experiment with high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel in four decades at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada. It achieved its objective of establishing an advanced reactor testbed. 

“With companies such as Amazon and Google investing in nuclear energy to power their data centers, Read More