Four Western states are joining forces to unlock what could be hundreds of gigawatts of geothermal…

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Four Western States Launch Geothermal Energy Alliance: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are combining resources to develop next-generation geothermal power using advanced drilling and AI, targeting hundreds of gigawatts of untapped capacity —. Read More: CleanTechnica.
• Interior Secretary Stumbles on Battery Storage Basics: Secretary Doug Burgum drew ridicule during testimony for dismissing Nevada solar-plus-storage projects while displaying limited understanding of how battery storage technology actually works —. Read More: CleanTechnica.
• Seattle Utility Launches Time-of-Use Rate Structure: Seattle City Light rolled out a new electricity rate that charges customers based on when they consume power, a key grid modernization move for the Pacific Northwest —. Read More: Seattle Times.
• House Passes Year-Round E15 Ethanol Bill: The legislation allowing year-round sales of 15% ethanol blend fuel cleared the House with bipartisan support from corn-state lawmakers but faces a contested path in the Senate —. Read More: Wisconsin Examiner.
• Earth.org Publishes Clean Energy Myth-Busting Guide: A new resource tackles persistent misinformation about renewable energy adoption, offering evidence-based counterarguments as public debate over the energy transition intensifies —. Read More: CleanTechnica.

Solar & Storage

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's testimony this week provided an unintentionally revealing snapshot of where the Trump Administration stands on battery storage — and the picture isn't encouraging for the industry. During questioning, Burgum while demonstrating what observers described as a fundamental misunderstanding of how battery energy storage systems pair with solar generation to deliver power beyond daylight hours. The exchange drew laughter in the hearing room and sharp criticism from clean energy advocates online. Read More: dismissed solar projects in Nevada.

The moment matters beyond the viral clip. Burgum, as Interior Secretary, oversees the Bureau of Land Management, which controls permitting for utility-scale solar and wind projects on millions of acres of federal land across the West — precisely the kind of terrain where solar-plus-storage projects are proliferating. His comments come just days after reports that states across 27 jurisdictions have approved higher fixed charges that erode rooftop solar economics, and as the industry grapples with safe harbor uncertainties under the administration's budget legislation. When the official responsible for federal land permitting cannot articulate how a solar-plus-battery storage system functions, it signals a knowledge deficit that could have real consequences for project timelines and approvals.

This stands in stark contrast to the momentum building at the state and local level. Last week saw a flurry of major battery storage developments: Spearmint Energy secured $450 million for a 300 MW / 600 MWh battery project in Texas, GridStor acquired a 796 MWh Colorado battery project, and Antora Energy commissioned a massive 5 GWh thermal storage system in South Dakota. The disconnect between federal skepticism and state-level action continues to define the American energy storage landscape in 2026.

Wind Energy

Today's news cycle was quiet on specific wind project developments, but the broader context for the sector remains consequential. The four-state geothermal alliance announced this weekend — while focused on a different resource — highlights a pattern that wind developers should watch closely: Western states are increasingly building their own collaborative frameworks for clean energy development, effectively routing around federal policy uncertainty. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are leveraging advanced drilling technologies and artificial intelligence to tap geothermal resources, a baseload renewable source that could complement the variable output of wind farms across the region.

For the wind industry, the geothermal push is both an opportunity and a competitive pressure. On one hand, expanded geothermal capacity could ease grid integration challenges that sometimes constrain wind project development. On the other, it represents another clean energy technology competing for the same transmission capacity, interconnection queue slots, and offtake agreements. With interconnection bottlenecks already identified as a major constraint — as a recent Interstate Renewable Energy Council scorecard detailed — any new large-scale generation resource adds complexity to an already strained system.

Policy & Markets

The between Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah is arguably the most significant clean energy policy story of the weekend. The collaboration targets what researchers estimate could be hundreds of gigawatts of geothermal capacity buried beneath the Mountain West — a staggering figure that, if even partially realized, would fundamentally reshape the region's energy mix. The states are pooling regulatory expertise, research funding, and permitting frameworks to accelerate development of next-generation enhanced geothermal systems that use techniques adapted from the oil and gas industry's horizontal drilling revolution. Read More: four-state geothermal compact.

What makes this initiative particularly notable is its bipartisan appeal. Geothermal energy — firm, baseload, and generated from domestic resources with a small surface footprint — sidesteps many of the political objections leveled against solar and wind. The involvement of traditionally conservative states like Utah and Arizona suggests this is the kind of clean energy development that can advance regardless of the federal political environment. It also represents a model that other state coalitions may replicate as federal clean energy policy remains in flux under the Trump Administration.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the opens a new front in the alternative fuels debate. The legislation, backed heavily by lawmakers from corn-producing states in the Midwest, would allow gas stations to sell the 15% ethanol blend throughout the summer months — a period when current regulations restrict its sale due to smog concerns. Proponents argue the bill reduces dependence on foreign oil and supports American agriculture; opponents, including some environmental groups and oil-state senators, question both the emissions benefits and the impact on fuel infrastructure. The bill's Senate prospects remain uncertain, with the chamber's narrow margins and competing priorities likely to delay action. Read More: House passage of the year-round E15 ethanol bill.

Closer to the consumer level, represents the kind of grid modernization that utilities nationwide are adopting to manage increasingly complex power systems. By charging customers more during peak demand periods and less during off-peak hours, the utility aims to shift consumption patterns in ways that reduce strain on the grid and better align demand with renewable energy availability. For a city powered largely by hydroelectric generation, the move also sets the stage for smarter integration of rooftop solar, home batteries, and electric vehicle charging — technologies that are growing rapidly in the Pacific Northwest. Read More: Seattle City Light's new time-of-use rate.

The time-of-use structure is part of a broader national trend. As utilities confront rising peak demand driven by data centers, EV adoption, and building electrification, rate design has become a critical policy lever. Seattle's approach could serve as a template for other publicly owned utilities considering similar reforms, particularly in regions where grid modernization has lagged behind the pace of clean energy deployment.

LOOKING AHEAD

• E15 Ethanol Bill Heads to Senate: Watch for committee scheduling and amendment battles as oil-state senators weigh in against corn-state allies; the bill's fate could hinge on whether leadership prioritizes it before the summer recess.
• Geothermal Alliance Next Steps: The four-state Western geothermal compact will need to formalize governance structures and identify priority drilling sites — early project announcements could come within months as enhanced geothermal technology matures rapidly.
• Federal Land Solar Permitting Under Scrutiny: Burgum's testimony may intensify congressional oversight of BLM's solar and wind permitting processes on federal land, with environmental groups likely to cite the exchange in legal and lobbying efforts.

THE BOTTOM LINE: As federal officials fumble the basics of battery storage technology, Western states are bypassing Washington entirely — building multi-state alliances and modernizing rate structures that will shape the clean energy market for years to come, reinforcing that the real momentum in America's energy transition lives at the state and local level.