ALSO: 

• Nevada advocates worry planned lithium extraction projects could harm a 24,000-acre network of interconnected springs, streams and aquifers at and around a national wildlife refuge. (Las Vegas Sun) 
• A company seeks $456 million in financing to fund its proposed rare earth minerals mining project in Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily)

BATTERIES: Hawaii lawmakers consider legislation aimed at encouraging or requiring automakers to recycle spent electric vehicle batteries. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) 

CLIMATE: An analysis predicts California cannot meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2030 unless it triples efforts to slash carbon emissions, attributing the backslide to a post-pandemic surge in driving and electricity demand. (Los Angeles Times)

WIND: Oregon regulators seek public input on a proposed 300 MW wind facility in the northeastern part of the state. (East Oregonian)

SOLAR: 

• An eastern Colorado county greenlights a proposed 200 MW solar-plus-battery storage facility on private ranchland. (Fort Morgan Times)
• A developer proposes a 170 MW solar installation on private land in rural southern Colorado. (Valley Courier)

CLEAN ENERGY: 

• An Arizona utility says Google’s agreement to purchase wind and solar energy to power its new Phoenix-area data center will help the utility transition to clean energy. (KJZZ)
• A southern California county considers two proposed solar-plus-storage projects with a combined 870 MW capacity and a partly solar-powered micro-steel mill equipped with carbon capture. (Bakersfield Californian)

OIL & GAS: 

• Officials are monitoring impacts after a U.S. Coast Guard vessel accidentally discharged 500 gallons of diesel fuel off the northern California coast. (CNN)
• As trains haul increasing volumes of crude oil through the Columbia Gorge in the Northwest, officials prepare for a catastrophic spill many residents fear is inevitable. (The Columbian)

FOSSIL FUELS: A Utah researcher predicts the state’s coal, oil and natural gas production will continue to climb in the near future even as new hydrogen, geothermal and solar facilities come online. (Deseret News) 

UTILITIES: San Diego public power advocates predict establishing a municipal utility would cost $3.5 billion, but current utility SDG&E estimates it could amount to nearly three times as much. (San Diego Union-Tribune, subscription)

NUCLEAR: 

• Oregon small modular reactor firm NuScale shifts from providing grid-scale power facilities to catering to “enormous energy consumers” such as data centers. (Utility Dive)
• The U.S. Senate strips language from an appropriations bill that would have blocked a proposed interim spent nuclear reactor fuel depository in southeastern New Mexico. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

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Feds to loan $2 billion to Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO: New Mexico regulators reject a utility’s plan for a liquified natural gas storage facility, saying the benefits don’t justify the cost. (Source NM)

CARBON CAPTURE: A California company has raised $80 million for a proposed direct-air carbon capture facility in Wyoming. (Canary Media) 

WIND: 

• A proposed marine sanctuary backed by tribal nations could complicate interconnection for offshore wind in California. (E&E News)
• Oregon representatives urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to extend the comment period for proposed offshore wind projects. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

SOLAR: A cannabis company proposes a 102 MW solar project to help power its research facility in rural New Mexico. (Renewables Now)

ENERGY STORAGE: 

• The Navajo Nation reiterates its opposition to a proposed pumped-hydro storage project in Arizona, which will likely derail the project. (E&E News, subscription)
• An Arizona utility announces its new 1 GW-hour battery storage system is now online, mainly to provide power for a new Google data center. (KTAR)

CLIMATE: 

• A group of Wyoming lawmakers who reject the science of climate change failed to block two key energy bills backed by Gov. Mark Gordon. (WyoFile)
• Oregon has begun rewriting its climate policy after an earlier version was thrown out by a court decision. (Washington State Standard)
• Plaintiffs in a Montana climate lawsuit file their appeal to the state Supreme Court, saying the state’s constitution obliges the courts to enforce citizens rights to a clean and healthful environment. (Daily Montanan)
• The U.S. Interior Department announces $120 million for 146 tribal climate resilience projects. (The Hill)

OVERSIGHT: 

• The chair of Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission continues to resist calls to step down amid controversy over his use of a racial slur and accusations of bullying and harassment. (Washington State Standard)
• California’s Energy Commission approves a process to consider “non-energy benefits” such as health and economic impacts in energy planning. (Inside Climate News)

UTILITIES: Hawaii lawmakers debate a bill that would allow the state’s largest utility to securitize a bond to help pay for wildfire costs. (KITV)

EFFICIENCY: A landmark federal courthouse in Salt Lake City is undergoing extensive energy efficiency upgrades, with an aim of eventually reaching net-zero status. (Salt Lake Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION: Utah data shows both electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular, but those sales are dwarfed by a surge in pickups and SUVs. (Salt Lake Tribune, subscription)

COMMENTARY: 

• Advocates recommend line-item vetos to a recently passed Washington clean energy bill, saying it favors investors over ratepayers. (Sightline Institute)
• A columnist weighs the pros and cons of hydropower dams, which produce clean electricity but also have climate impacts of their own. (Los Angeles Times)

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Oregon rejects gas utilities’ climate plans is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO: 

• Colorado lawmakers will discuss a bill to ban all new oil and gas drilling in the state by 2030, which the state’s Democratic governor opposes. (Colorado Newsline)
• Alaska is expected to see an additional $200 million in revenue over the next two years from higher oil prices. (Anchorage Daily News)
• Backers of a rail line that would ship oil through Colorado petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review litigation that halted the project. (Colorado Newsline)

CLEAN ENERGY: The Department of Energy estimates a rapid adoption of renewable energy could save Alaskans more than $1 billion on utility bills by 2040. (Anchorage Daily News)

CLIMATE: 

• A new report finds California’s emissions increased 3.4% in 2021, driven largely by reliance on natural gas power plants as the state rebounded from the pandemic. (CalMatters)
• Washington’s carbon market sees a dramatic price drop in its latest auction ahead of a November ballot provision seeking to repeal the state’s climate law. (S&P Global)
• Montana’s proposed climate plan, an effort to secure a portion of Inflation Reduction Act funds, is “intentionally broad” and includes measures ranging from urban forestry to putting out coal seam fires. (Montana Free Press)
• An Arizona bill would ban the state from doing anything to reduce emissions, which its Republican sponsor calls “furthering Marxist ideologies.” (Arizona Republic)

TRANSPORTATION: 

• Members of California’s Air Resources Board say staff members are disregarding their concerns about the state’s emphasis on biofuels to reduce transportation emissions and are withholding key information. (Canary Media)
• Oregon will temporarily revive its rebate program for electric vehicles, offering up to $7,500 from April 3 to June 3. (OPB)
• Colorado lawmakers consider a $3 per day fee on rental cars to raise money to match federal grants for passenger rail. (Colorado Sun)
• Arizona Democrats urge the federal government to enact tougher clean-car standards amid opposition to state efforts. (Arizona Mirror)

ELECTRIFICATION: Portland’s city council unanimously approves a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers that will be introduced gradually. (Oregonian)

SOLAR: Concerns about wildfires are driving opposition to a utility-scale solar farm in New Mexico. (Searchlight New Mexico)

NUCLEAR: 

• Washington lawmakers included $25 million for a utility’s efforts to develop a small modular reactor in the state budget, funding that could be threatened if opponents succeed in repealing the state’s climate law. (Tri-City Herald)
• An adviser to the Idaho National Laboratory explains why Wyoming is a key partner in the lab’s effort to develop advanced nuclear technology. (Cowboy State Daily)

UTILITIES: Amid an effort to municipalize San Diego’s utilities, the city’s current investor-owned utility releases a report estimating the value of the city’s grid at $11 billion, but offers few specifics as to how it arrived at that figure. (KPBS)

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Study: Much of Permian’s natural gas escaping to atmosphere is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO: Washington state lawmakers allocate $30 million to provide fuel surcharge rebates to farmers and truckers not exempted from the state’s carbon cap-and-invest program. (Washington State Standards)

OIL & GAS: 

• Advocates urge policymakers to require long-term monitoring of plugged oil and gas wells following an increase in failed plugging jobs. (Bloomberg Law) 
• A $450 million hydraulic fracturing sand firm merger is expected to increase capacity and oil and gas production in the Permian Basin. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Wyoming officials resist oil and gas industry pressure and vote to establish protections for a significant wildlife migration corridor. (WyoFile)
• A study finds oil and gas flaring and venting-related air pollution disproportionately burdens low-income, Latino and Indigenous communities. (news release)
• A California lawmaker introduces a bill that would require oil and gas companies to plug up to 20% of their idle wells annually. (news release)

SOLAR: 

• New Mexico advocates are skeptical of the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s claims that on-site solar cannot meet the facility’s growing power demand. (KUNM)
• Arizona regulators order a solar installation firm to pay $8.7 million in restitution for allegedly selling unregistered securities to foreign investors. (Arizona Daily Star)
• A developer secures financing for a 220 MW solar-plus-battery storage facility under construction in central Arizona. (Energy Storage News)

WIND: 

• The Yurok Tribe votes to oppose wind power development proposed off northern California’s coast, saying the 900-foot-tall turbines would harm sacred sites. (Siskiyou News)
• The U.S. House of Representatives passes legislation that would block federal agencies from advancing permitting for the controversial proposed Lava Ridge wind facility in southern Idaho. (Boise State Public Radio)

CLEAN ENERGY: The Biden administration awards Mountain West tribal nations about $26 million to bring electricity to off-grid homes and fund clean energy systems. (KUNR)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A southern California port unveils the nation’s first all-electric tug boat and expects to begin operations next month. (San Diego Union-Tribune) 

UTILITIES: 

• Over 1,000 victims of last year’s deadly Maui wildfires plan to sue Hawaiian Electric and other entities, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked the blaze. (Hawaii News Now)
• Two Montana Democrats and eight Republicans vie for three open seats on the state’s GOP-dominated utility regulatory commission. (Daily Montanan) 
• An Alaska city contracts with an outside electric association to manage its municipal utility after an effort to sell the utility was voted down. (KDLL)

TRANSITION: A Navajo Nation nonprofit looks to convert a defunct rail line connecting a decommissioned coal mine and power plant in northern Arizona into a running and cycling trail. (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 

ELECTRIFICATION: Colorado restaurants say switching from natural gas to electric induction stoves and ovens has improved their food quality and the kitchen atmosphere. (Rocky Mountain PBS)

COMMENTARY: A Montana advocate urges the federal government to stop leasing land to oil and gas companies, saying drilling will harm the state’s growing outdoor recreation economy. (Montana Standard)

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Colorado climate advocates divided over supply or demand policies is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

OIL & GAS: U.S. Coast Guard officials say an oil sheen spotted off southern California’s coast last week may have emanated from a natural seep on the ocean floor. (ABC News)

COAL: 

• The U.S., Canada and Indigenous groups announce a plan to tackle British Columbia coal mine pollution contaminating Northwest rivers and lakes. (Associated Press)
• The developer of a proposed coal export terminal in Oakland, California, sues the city for blocking the facility even though a judge ruled in January the project could move forward. (East Bay Times)

SOLAR: New Mexico’s Supreme Court rejects investor-owned utilities’ bid to loosen the state’s community solar program’s rules. (Albuquerque Journal)

GRID: Federal regulators approve new rules allowing California’s grid operator to participate in an extended day-ahead power market once it goes live. (RTO Insider, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY: A California power agency awards cities in the northern part of the state $11.5 million to help fund clean energy-related projects. (Daily Journal)

CLIMATE: The U.S. Energy Department awards five New Mexico startups over $6 million to research, develop and scale up climate technology. (news release) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: 

• California advocates worry rising power costs may discourage residents from switching to electric vehicles, even though charging EVs remains cheaper than fueling gasoline cars. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Washington state school districts pilot a zero-emissions vehicle technician training curriculum. (news release) 

UTILITIES: 

• California regulators approve a program aimed at encouraging major utilities to underground power lines to reduce wildfire hazard. (Utility Dive)
• California’s public utility commission urges federal regulators to reject a utility’s request to recover transmission projects’ costs while they are under construction. (Utility Dive)
• Regulators approve Public Service Company of New Mexico’s efficiency incentive programs. (Albuquerque Journal)
• An analysis finds Utah and Wyoming have the nation’s lowest electricity rates, while Hawaii’s are the highest. (Deseret News)
• California regulators are set to consider an advocacy groups’ petition calling on them to factor environment and public health into clean energy development decisions. (news release)

MINING: 

• Tribal nation citizens urge a federal human rights commission to push back on a predicted uranium mining boom, saying Indigenous communities continue to suffer from Cold War-era extraction of the fuel. (Inside Climate News)
• A Navajo Nation-owned energy company partners with a mining firm on a proposed lithium extraction project in Arizona. (Mining Technology) 

COMMENTARY: 

• A Utah editorial board calls on Gov. Spencer Cox to veto legislation that would allow the state to purchase a coal power plant to keep it operating beyond its scheduled retirement date, saying it would risk billions of taxpayer dollars. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Arizona advocates urge residents to vote for non-incumbent, pro-clean energy candidates for the board of Salt River Project, the nation’s largest public power company. (Arizona Republic)

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California advocates: Overhaul the state low-carbon fuel program is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.