Western Energy News

Trump’s California fight could ripple to other states

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TRANSPORTATION: President Trump aggressively defends his plan to revoke California’s authority to set tougher auto emissions standards despite opposition from state officials. (New York Times)

ALSO:
• Auto industry experts say the Trump administration’s revocation of California’s authority to set tougher auto mileage standards will likely extend to nine other states that adopted its rules and could adversely impact the market for electric vehicles. (InsideClimate News)
• Some analysts say automakers may not drastically alter their strategies if the Trump administration cancels California’s right to set it own auto emissions standards. (USA Today)

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ELECTRIFICATION: A Seattle city councilmember is delaying a vote on his proposal to ban gas-piping systems in newly constructed homes and buildings until December or later in response to objections raised by labor unions and businesses.

Western Energy News

Trump EPA prepares to revoke California’s authority on emissions

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TRANSPORTATION: The Trump administration is expected to announce that it is revoking California’s authority to set auto mileage standards, which threatens to produce a massive legal battle and prolonged uncertainty and turmoil in the nation’s auto market. (Associated Press, Washington Post)

FOSSIL FUELS:
• The University of California system says it will eliminate fossil fuels from its $84 billion pension and endowment funds. (Associated Press)
• Colorado activists want state leaders to begin considering economic transition plans for the eventual end of the fossil fuel era. (Westword)

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NATURAL GAS: San Jose, California’s city council votes to ban natural gas in most new residential buildings, making it the largest city to do so.

Western Energy News

Federal report finds more bad news for western coal

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COAL: A new Energy Information Administration report says that Western coal production is decreasing quicker than previously forecast due to a decline in demand and market uncertainty. (Casper Star-Tribune)

ALSO:
• Wyoming officials ruled that reclamation plans for the two Blackjewel mines in the state do not have to be submitted because both are still open on a limited basis. (Bloomberg, subscription)
• New Mexico’s largest utility is filing corrected paperwork with state regulators after recalculating the costs and benefits associated with the planned closure of the San Juan Generating Station in 2022. (Associated Press)

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RENEWABLES: A new report explores the challenges facing Hawaii as the first state to require a total transition to renewable energy, and implications for the rest of the U.S. (Honolulu Civil Beat)

WIND:
• Hawaii state and federal agencies accepted Auwahi Wind Energy’s request to increase the number of allowed incidental bat deaths at its Kaino wind farm.

Western Energy News

California utility reaches $11 billion settlement over wildfires

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UTILITIES: PG&E agrees to an $11 billion insurance settlement for Northern California wildfire victims, $2.5 billion more than the bankrupt utility proposed in its bankruptcy plan. (San Francisco Chronicle) 

ALSO: Under a plan approved by state regulators, customers of an Arizona utility will pay a slightly higher surcharge to support a buildout of renewable energy and storage. (Arizona Daily Star)

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GRID: California state regulators plan a 2.5 GW procurement for reliability resources, which could open up new markets for storage and demand response. (Greentech Media) 

COAL: Economists and former Blackjewel employees are uncertain about the ability of Powder River Basin coal mines to bounce back from recent bankruptcies.

Western Energy News

Lawsuit: Feds ignored climate in Utah lease sales

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PUBLIC LANDS: A lawsuit filed by environmental groups claims federal officials violated the law by failing to analyze climate impacts before approving 130 oil and gas leases in Utah. (Associated Press)

ALSO:
• The U.S. House votes to reverse the 2017 law that allows oil and gas drilling in part of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as the Interior Department releases a plan calling for drilling on the entire coastal plain. (Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News)
• Federal officials say steps can still be taken to protect sensitive Utah sites from drilling impacts. (Salt Lake Tribune)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Sacramento’s municipal utility prepares to test a hyperlocal EV charging program that will use blockchain software to track customer rewards.