OIL & GAS: Emails show that the Trump administration’s rollback of methane reporting requirements came at the request of a Colorado oil industry group shortly after the inauguration. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• The dispute over federal methane standards is unlikely to have much impact in Wyoming, where state rules mirror current federal ones. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• New Mexico regulators release draft rules to reduce methane and other emissions from oil and gas operations. (Associated Press)
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CLIMATE: A Colorado zip code has the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the country, according to a study that looks at the disproportionate impact of wealthy people with large homes. (Associated Press)
EQUITY: The mayors of Los Angeles and Oakland talk about efforts to ensure racial justice is embedded into climate resiliency plans. (GreenBiz)
COAL:
• Three Western states and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe are part of a coalition suing to stop the BLM from leasing federal lands to coal companies. (Associated Press)
• A coal analyst says the decline in the costs of natural gas and renewable energy resources have probably contributed more to reductions in coal burning than banning utilities from using it. (E&E News)
SOLAR: A University of California, Davis study finds that desert plants, including plants of cultural significance to 18 Native American tribes, are under threat from large solar energy facilities. (UC Davis News Service)
TRANSMISSION: NV Energy reveals a big transmission line proposal it says will support Nevada’s decarbonisation and renewable energy goals. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
BIOENERGY: A Hawaii bioenergy firm holds a rally to protest a possible loss of jobs after state regulators struck down an amended power purchase agreement to build a biomass plant, and later files a motion for reconsideration. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, subscription)
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WIND: Wyoming’s Game & Fish Department is studying the impact of wind development on pronghorn fawns. (Oil City News)
COMMENTARY:
• A California editorial board says high energy prices are a key driver of the “Black exodus” from the state. (OC Register)
• Two California energy experts say the state needs an aggressive integration of clean energy technologies to power a reliable and resilient electricity grid to cope with the persistent threat of wildfire. (Redding Record Searchlight)
• An energy storage company says California’s Self Generation Incentive Program is an opportunity for the state to boost the economy through more resilient infrastructure. (Solar Builder)