CLEAN ENERGY: A new report commissioned by California’s legislature looks at the “greening” of existing jobs, and makes policy recommendations to ensure equity and fair wages. (Los Angeles Times)

UTILITIES: FERC now says it has exclusive jurisdiction over Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s member system exit charges, a move that could have broader implications for rate cases, experts say. (Utility Dive)

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GRID:
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs an emergency proclamation allowing power plants to generate more power for this weekend’s coming heat wave by suspending certain permitting requirements. (news release)
• PG&E is one of a number of California utilities concerned about the reliability of the state’s grid, saying rolling blackouts “clearly demonstrate a need for an operational reliability assessment.” (Utility Dive)

COAL:
• A study of several Wyoming coal-fueled power plants shows that carbon capture can provide significant benefits, but Pacificorp disagrees. (Associated Press)
• Plans to retrofit New Mexico’s San Juan Generating Station were among the topics discussed during a virtual roundtable between state lawmakers and local officials. (Farmington Daily Times)

OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico oil and gas regulators unanimously approve changes to the state’s produced water regulations. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Documents show that several non-emergency Wyoming oil and gas projects could have been rushed through without proper environmental review. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• The Colorado commission in charge of rewriting the state’s oil and gas rules will consider how far back wells have to be from schools and homes. (Denver Post)
• An economic study shows that southeastern New Mexico’s economy has struggled between the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2020 due to the decline in active oil and gas industry rigs. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• A major Colorado oil producer exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy and cuts its debt by $3 billion. (Greeley Tribune)

STORAGE:
• A Berkeley Lab review of interconnection queues shows that California is leading the way on wind + storage projects. (Utility Dive)
• Construction begins on a 100 MW/400 MWh grid-scale battery system with the capacity to serve roughly 80,000 Southern California Edison ratepayers. (Renewable Energy Magazine)

GEOTHERMAL: Nevada renewable energy developers see geothermal as a cheaper and emissions-free alternative to natural gas for heating as well as electricity generation. (Nevada Independent)

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WIND: Property owners oppose plans for a planned $500 million wind farm in southeastern Wyoming. (Alton Telegraph)

COMMENTARY:
• San Diego activists on a podcast discuss public power under a city-owned utility as the city’s mayor prepares to sign a new long-term deal with a power company. (KPBS)
• A renewable energy trade group official says electric grids should prioritize greater deployment of resources including batteries and larger demand response programs. (GreenBiz)

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.).