UTILITIES: A new analysis finds that PG&E’s public safety power shutoffs in October 2019 may have prevented wildfires from burning more than 3 million acres. (San Francisco Chronicle)

ALSO: An investigation finds an Oregon utility failed to follow its own protocols for power shutoffs prior to a 2020 wildfire that killed two people. (Oregonian)

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COAL: A Montana bill that would require NorthWestern Energy ratepayers to pay for any additional shares of the Colstrip power plant bought by the utility and associated repairs and environmental cleanup is scheduled for a committee hearing tomorrow. (Billings Gazette)

TRANSMISSION: A Nevada lawmaker says the state could be the wholesale energy transmission hub for the West. (Nevada Appeal)

POLICY: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham is set to sign into law a bill that would create a central, accessible map-based database of environmental information already available through state agencies. (New Mexico Political Report)

SOLAR:
• A Wyoming legislative committee delays a decision on a proposed Wyoming bill that would have required the state’s utility regulator to review rooftop solar regulations and establish a new net metering system. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A Washington county’s planning commission is set to hold a public hearing on a proposed 250MW solar farm in May. (Hanford Sentinel)
• A Republican Hawaii state senator organizes a protest against a proposed solar farm on trust land owned by a state agency. (Associated Press)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Court filings reveal Tesla wants a U.S. appeals court to reinstate an Obama-era federal regulation that would more than double penalties for automakers who fail to meet fuel efficiency standards. (Reuters)
• Frito-Lay is replacing all existing diesel-powered vehicles at its California manufacturing plant with battery-electric or “natural gas with renewable attributes” vehicles by the end of this year. (Electrive)

PUBLIC LANDS: Native American tribes and environmentalists are in conflict with the Bureau of Land Management over a possible wind energy project at the site of what could be Nevada’s newest national monument. (KVUU)

MICROGRIDS: The single transmission line that serves a remote Colorado town experiencing multiple power outages is to be replaced by a microgrid. (Microgrid Knowledge)

CLEAN ENERGY: Portland’s city council is set to decide this week whether to approve 45 grant proposals recommended by committee members of a clean energy funding program geared toward historically marginalized communities. (Oregonian)

COMMENTARY:
• The Los Angeles Times editorial board says the city should aggressively aim for 100% clean, renewable energy by 2035.
• A former Wyoming U.S. Senate candidate says a proposed federal bill that would make carbon capture projects eligible for Energy Department loan guarantees won’t do much for the state’s current economic problems. (WyoFile)
• A University of Alaska, Fairbanks professor says the state should establish a climate change commission. (Anchorage Daily News)
• Two Colorado politicians advocate for economic justice for all communities as part of the state’s “building back better” initiatives. (Colorado Sun)

Lisa Ellwood

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).