UTILITIES: California regulators approve an order requiring utilities to procure 11.5 gigawatts of carbon-free power resources by 2026 — and no natural gas — to replace capacity lost when the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant closes in 2025. (RTO Insider, subscription; Utility Dive)
ALSO:
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs a bill requiring utilities to join regional transmission organizations to speed grid decarbonization. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• California extends its moratorium on power shut-offs due to non-payment until the end of September. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
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GRID:
• California regulators order utilities to balance the risks from equipment-ignited wildfires against the potential harm of public safety power shutoffs when developing wildfire mitigation strategies. (CBS SF)
• An eastern California utility warns customers of potential prolonged power outages this summer due to extreme fire danger. (Sierra Sun)
OIL & GAS:
• A new analysis by a public lands advocacy group tallies more than 30,000 abandoned oil and gas wells within 30 miles of national parks. (E&E News, subscription)
• A significant increase in oil production from tribal lands complicates the Biden administration’s efforts to fight climate change. (Associated Press)
• A 12,000-acre wildfire burning near the Colorado-Utah border threatens oil and gas infrastructure. (CBS4)
• Oil and gas drilling in Wyoming is growing after more than a year of near-dormancy. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A Colorado county asks the state’s supreme court to reverse a lower court’s decision granting an oil company the right to drill there. (Boulder Daily Camera)
HYDROPOWER: California’s buildup of wind and solar power, along with falling prices of renewables, threaten to render the Pacific Northwest’s hydroelectric dams obsolete, according to a soon-to-be published report. (The Observer)
TRANSPORTATION:
• California allocates $32 million to Los Angeles-area transportation projects, including for bus electrification, rail and bike lanes. (CBSLA)
• Hawaii Gov. David Ige signs three bills encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles in the state. (Pacific Business News)
CLIMATE: Oregon lawmakers are slated to vote today on a sweeping climate bill requiring utilities to go fossil fuel-free by 2040. (The Oregonian)
MICROGRIDS: Three California Chik-fil-A restaurants install microgrids as a test for a possible larger rollout. (Microgrid Knowledge)
WIND: As the Honolulu City Council considers larger setbacks for wind power facilities, one community is fed up with turbines. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
COAL: A historic Colorado steam-powered tourist railroad switches from coal to oil- and diesel-burning locomotives for the summer to lower emissions and reduce wildfire danger. (Durango Telegraph)
COMMENTARY:
• Two California city leaders say that a time-of-use electricity rate plan will immediately benefit the climate. (Mercury News)
• A California energy company CEO says proposed changes to the state’s net energy metering program would make rooftop solar unaffordable to all but the wealthy. (Desert Sun)