CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gavin Newsom releases a “transformative” $100 billion budget plan that includes $912 million to advance clean energy and $3.2 billion for zero-emission vehicles alongside measures to address racial and economic inequities. (Los Angeles Times, NRDC)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Newsom’s budget plan also includes $4.2 billion for the first segment of a high-speed rail system, but future funding for the project remains unclear. (East Bay Times)
• Oregon will need 4,000% growth in public charging infrastructure to meet the state’s 2035 electric vehicle target, according to a draft state study. (NetZero Insider)
• Proposed rules from Colorado’s air pollution agency would call on the state’s large employers to allow just 60% of their employees to commute alone in cars by 2024. (Colorado Sun)

CLIMATE:
• A report released Friday projects Colorado will fall far short of its emissions targets without enforceable limits, which are included in a bill Gov. Jared Polis has threatened to veto. (Denver Post)
• Polis’ wavering on climate legislation has left some of his supporters disillusioned. (Colorado Public Radio)
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign the state’s landmark climate legislation today. (Bloomberg)

HYDROPOWER: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray issue a statement opposing a proposal to breach four Snake River dams championed by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, while a Washington lawmaker compared the plan to closing the Boise airport to fight climate change. (Spokesman-Review)

GRID:
• Hawaii regulators compromise on conditions they had imposed on a proposed 185 MW storage facility after the state’s largest utility warned the agreement might jeopardize the project. (Pacific Business News, subscription)
• Arizona utilities warn they could face reliability issues this summer if California limits power exports to other states. (Arizona Daily Star)

UTILITIES: A group of 70 Oregon landowners sue two utilities for $103 million in damages, alleging power lines sparked a wildfire last year that destroyed 430 homes. (Oregonian)

COAL: “We are still trying to get our arms around it”: Colorado’s Office of Just Transition faces a daunting task as coal’s rapid decline is already impacting the communities dependent on it. (Denver Post)

SOLAR:
• A California homeowner files a class-action lawsuit against Tesla after the company doubles the price for his solar roof; CEO Elon Musk acknowledged last month the company has made “significant mistakes” in estimates. (Business Insider)
• New Mexico regulators are re-evaluating interconnection rules as interest in rooftop solar grows. (New Mexico Political Report)

COMMENTARY:
• A conservative clean-energy advocate calls Arizona regulators reversal on a 100% renewable energy target “one of the most stunning and inexplicable flip-flops imaginable.” (Arizona Capitol Times)
• Utah student activists say clean-energy upgrades to schools can help address equity and improve academic performance. (Salt Lake Tribune)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.