CLIMATE: A new study by Stanford University scientists shows that California’s extreme fire weather days have doubled because of climate change. (CBS News)

ALSO: Montana regulators voted 3-2 against a proposal to host a forum on climate change issues relevant to energy policy. (Helena Independent Record)

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CALIFORNIA:
• PG&E’s bankruptcy judge refuses to approve a letter aiming to delay wildfire victims’ voting on the utility’s restructuring plan. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• A decrease in PG&E’s share price is complicating the utility’s $13.5 billion settlement with wildfire victims and its June 30 exit from bankruptcy. (New York Times)

STORAGE: California’s grid planning document indicates the state expects to need 1 GW of new long-duration energy storage by 2026 as part of its clean energy transition. (Greentech Media)

EFFICIENCY: The coronavirus pandemic is adversely impacting energy efficiency initiatives across the U.S., including a rebate program for multifamily buildings run by the City of San Francisco. (E&E News)

COAL:
• Peabody Energy announces workforce reductions at its Powder River Basin mines for the second consecutive month. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• Powder River Basin miners say employers aren’t serious enough about the coronavirus pandemic, and are concerned about the lack of enforcement of safety guidelines. (Wyoming Public Media)
• Endangered species of fish in Colorado’s Yampa River valley could benefit from the closure of coal-fired power stations. (Aspen Journalism)

WIND: PacifiCorp continues to build out its Wyoming wind farms, saying the utility “doesn’t expect any significant delays” because of the coronavirus pandemic. (RealClearEnergy)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California needs a significant increase in charging stations to achieve its goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads by 2030. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)

OIL & GAS:
• Wall Street analysts say the oil industry will be “permanently altered” by the coronavirus crisis, citing impacts on Wyoming producers. (The Independent)
• Despite plummeting prices, the Trump administration remains determined to drill for oil and gas in northern Alaska during the coronavirus crisis. (InsideClimate News)
• One of New Mexico’s most influential lawmakers says decisions made during the previous legislative session should help with current problems resulting from plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription)

RENEWABLES: A Stanford University energy policy and finance expert says he doesn’t expect the growth of renewables to be set back over the long term by the coronavirus pandemic. (New York Times)

PERMIAN BASIN:
• Environmentalists are ramping up monitoring methane emissions in the Permian Basin, with preliminary data showing that emissions are three times greater than EPA estimates. (Houston Chronicle, Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• New Mexico environmental groups are concerned oil and gas emissions could increase as a result of the state decreasing oversight because of the coronavirus pandemic. (New Mexico Political Report)

TRANSPORTATION: California is allowing an autonomous technology startup to test two driverless delivery vehicles in nine cities. (Reuters)

SOLAR: Work has begun on a 215-MW solar portfolio of four separate projects in Fresno, California. (Solar Power World)

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.).