Western Energy News

Colorado climate bill would reduce emissions 90 percent by 2050

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CLIMATE: A prominent Colorado lawmaker files a bill seeking to lower greenhouse gas emissions to 2005 levels over the next 30 years. (Denver Post)

ALSO: Oregon’s governor throws her support behind a bill creating a new state agency to oversee a proposed carbon cap and trade program. (The Oregonian)

***SPONSORED LINK: California is transforming how we utilize energy. From California’s new 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to EV infrastructure and DERs, the California Solar Power Expo touches it all. Join us on April 25-26 in San Diego.***

OIL & GAS:
• Several Western tribes push federal land managers to permanently ban drilling at a culturally important site in New Mexico.

Western Energy News

Judge blocks drilling in Wyoming, citing climate change concerns

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OIL & GAS: A federal judge blocks drilling on 300,000 acres in Wyoming, saying the government failed to adequately consider the impact on climate change before auctioning off federal land to oil and gas drillers. (Reuters)

ALSO:
• Several communities in Alaska are pushing the federal government to restrict offshore drilling in areas where whales are hunted as subsistence resources. (KTOO)
• A Colorado county is considering reinstating another drilling moratorium over concerns a proposal currently before state lawmakers could end up sparking a rush for permits. (Denver Post)

***SPONSORED LINK: California is transforming how we utilize energy. From California’s new 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to EV infrastructure and DERs, the California Solar Power Expo touches it all.

Western Energy News

California solar generation breaks another record

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SOLAR: California has likely broken a record for utility-scale solar energy production, at one point over the weekend meeting 59 percent of grid demand in CAISO territory. (PV Magazine)

ALSO: Officials with a California residential solar and energy storage installation company say the widespread deployment of its products can help the state reduce wildfire risks. (Greentech Media)

***SPONSORED LINK: California is transforming how we utilize energy. From California’s new 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to EV infrastructure and DERs, the California Solar Power Expo touches it all. Join us on April 25-26 in San Diego.***

RENEWABLES:
• A Nevada lawmaker files legislation proposing to raise the state’s renewable energy standard to 50 percent by 2030.

Western Energy News

California governor: PG&E ‘cannot be trusted’

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UTILITIES: California’s largest utility repeatedly overlooked safety problems that led to some of the most destructive fires in state history, as Gov. Gavin Newsom says the company “cannot be trusted.” (New York Times)

OIL & GAS:
• Three oil and gas companies are proposing to drill hundreds of new wells in a historic California oilfield. (Sacramento Bee)
• Legislation proposing a 10-year ban on hydraulic fracturing clears the Oregon House. (Associated Press)
• A bill proposing a monumental overhaul of oil and gas regulations in Colorado gets its first hearing in the House. (Denver Post)

***SPONSORED LINK: California is transforming how we utilize energy. From California’s new 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to EV infrastructure and DERs, the California Solar Power Expo touches it all.

Western Energy News

Wyoming governor vetoes coal export lawsuit bill

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COAL: Wyoming’s governor vetoes a bill that would have authorized the state to sue Washington over its rejection of a proposed coal export terminal, saying the state should have “a coherent approach” to the issue. (Associated Press)

ALSO: A major Wyoming coal producer reports a $718 million loss for 2018, prompting some to speculate the company may be be close to filing for bankruptcy. (Casper Star Tribune)

***SPONSORED LINK: California is transforming how we utilize energy. From California’s new 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to EV infrastructure and DERs, the California Solar Power Expo touches it all. Join us on April 25-26 in San Diego.***

POLITICS:
• Several clean energy measures make it past the legislative finish line in Utah including a $6.9 million electric vehicle investment, a carbon tax study and new measure giving communities more flexibility in achieving 100 percent renewable energy goals.