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)

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Jonathan P. Thompson

Jonathan hails from southwestern Colorado and has been writing about the land, cultures, and communities of the Western United States for more than two decades. He compiles the Western Energy News digest. He is the author of three books, a contributing editor at High Country News, and the editor of the Land Desk, an e-newsletter that provides coverage and context on issues critical to the West.