Energy

One of the biggest concerns with solar is a loss of farmland. However, new research found that solar uses half a percent or less of prime farmland in each state.

One reactor in Utah and two others in Idaho had already "gone critical," or managed to turn on a test reactor. The Trump administration wanted at least three by the country's 250th birthday.

For the first time, solar power generated more electricity than coal during a full calendar month — a milestone that underscores how quickly the nation's power system is changing.

Coal from Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming could go to revived coal plants and be exported through a new port in California.

In a test at the Idaho National Lab last week, workers were able to turn the reactor on and safely control a nuclear fission reaction, though it hasn't produced electricity yet.

It was initially proposed as a full-scale nuclear power plant, but now will focus on small modular reactors. In other news, wildlife officials safely removed a bear from a Park City neighborhood.

Utilities across the West are launching a new regional energy market designed to help them buy and share power a full day before it's needed, which could lower costs and improve reliability.

The toxic byproduct left after coal is burned for electricity is often stored in ponds or landfills near power plants. Currently, those sites have to monitor for if nearby groundwater is contaminated.

Carbon storage wells act like giant straws, injecting carbon dioxide deep underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. The Rocky Mountain region has become a hub for these projects.

The funds, part of the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program, were earmarked to help people pay air conditioning this summer, which is anticipated to have extreme heat.