NATURAL GAS: Following power outages caused by capacity shortfalls last month, California officials vote to let four aging natural gas power plants keep operating past the end of this year. (Los Angeles Times) 

ALSO: New Mexico regulators cite several natural gas processing plants for exceeding air pollution limits, with potential fines in excess of $7 million. (Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium is September 21-25. Register to hear from members of Congress and leading clean energy innovators. Register today at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org.***    

CALIFORNIA:
• California reaches the milestone of 100 lawsuits filed against the Trump administration, with the latest challenging environmental rules changes. (Los Angeles Times)
• PG&E plans to cut the number of ratepayers impacted by power shutoffs in a California county by one-third or more. (Lake County Record-Bee) 

NUCLEAR:
• Two New Mexico U.S. Senators want virtual meetings on a proposed nuclear waste site to be postponed until after the coronavirus crisis is over and the public can safely gather in person. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• An Oregon-based designer of small modular nuclear reactors aims to complete its first commercial system by 2027. (Greentech Media)

OIL & GAS:
• The Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal in Oregon is one of a number of major energy projects the Trump administration is reportedly seeking to fast track environmental reviews of. (Associated Press)
• Colorado’s top oil and gas regulator is expanding public input into drilling and location permits. (Daily Camera)

PUBLIC LANDS: A new report issued by the Interior Department’s internal watchdog indicates two top officials misled Congress in claiming it was necessary to relocate the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado due to high office rent in Washington, D.C. (The Hill)

UTILITIES: Arizona community groups want the state’s largest electric utility to forgive roughly $30 million in debt from ratepayers unable to pay their bills due to record unemployment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (Arizona Republic)

COAL: The possibility of carbon capture storage in the Powder River Basin advances with a geophysical survey to test the viability of building a commercial-scale complex underground. (County 17)

COMMENTARY:
• A conservative clean energy leader challenges the narrative that renewable energy is to blame for California’s capacity shortfalls. (Energy News Network)
• Two California politicians explain why the state’s regulator should support community choice aggregators far more than its three largest utilities. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• An Arizona regulator explains the state’s plans for reserve energy during peak periods to avoid rolling blackouts. (Arizona Daily Star)
• A former Texas utility regulator says California’s good intentions to provide reliable electricity at least cost is undermined by bad policy. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• An attorney says oil and gas companies can easily support paying Alaskans a transparent and fair share of revenue without impacting investment or jobs. (Anchorage Daily News)

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.).