GRID: California’s grid operator is “cautiously optimistic” the state can avoid rolling blackouts this summer, but warns extreme heat could pose challenges as traders bet on supply shortages in other Western states. (S&P Global, Bloomberg)

ALSO: Colorado Springs Utilities announces it will join the Southwest Power Pool, giving the city more access to renewable energy. (Colorado Springs Gazette)

UTILITIES:
• Xcel Energy enters an agreement to purchase “responsibly sourced gas” for Colorado customers that is subject to strict emissions requirements. (Reuters)
• Hawaiian Electric on Monday filed an appeal to state regulators’ approval of a proposed energy storage project, saying that conditions imposed would make it “nearly impossible” to proceed. (Utility Dive)
• PG&E acknowledges responsibility for the 2019 Kincade Fire in California, but is pushing back on criminal charges filed by a Sonoma County prosecutor. (Bloomberg) 

TRANSITION: New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich will introduce a bill today that aims to create a “predictable glide path” for states to maintain public services as they transition away from fossil fuels. (E&E News, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Tesla says it will stop accepting Bitcoin as payment for its cars, a reversal from a few months ago, citing the emissions impact from data processing that the virtual currency depends on. (New York Times)
• A California lawmaker says the state has “an incredible patchwork” of permitting requirements for electrical vehicle chargers, with more than 250 cities failing to implement a 2015 law to streamline the process. (Colorado Boulevard)

BIOGAS: California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard adopted in 2009 is helping to drive renewable natural gas projects in the Midwest, primarily based on the strength of the dairy industry. (Energy News Network)

OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico officials reverse a decision to exempt nearly 30,000 low-producing wells, which can produce as much pollution as more productive wells, from proposed emissions rules. (Capital and Main)
• Federal officials will consider protections for two rare plants growing only in northwestern New Mexico amid a challenge to oil and gas development in the region. (Associated Press)

NUCLEAR: Backers of a proposed nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico hope the project can provide economic stability amid the boom and bust cycle of the oil industry. (Carlsbad Current Argus)

HYDROGEN: Oregon lawmakers pass a bill requiring a study of the potential of renewably sourced hydrogen. (Portland Business Journal)

SOLAR: A partnership between developers and a nonprofit is credited for the success of a Colorado community solar project. (Post Independent)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.