ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Consumer advocates say Xcel Energy’s proposed $30 million electric vehicle rebate program “was filed at the last minute” and is unclear on who benefits and who pays. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:
• Colorado gets its first electric vehicle-to-building charger in Boulder, aiming to keep the power on while keeping costs down during peak demand hours. (Mountain Town News)
• A California startup unveils an electrical vehicle that gets substantial power via solar panels instead of electric charging. (Fast Company)
• A Seattle-based startup providing third-party reports on the battery life and range of used electric vehicles raises $3.5 million to invest in the data science powering the reports. (GeekWire)

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OIL & GAS:
• Congressional Democrats say the Bureau of Land Management’s push for Arctic oil leasing may violate its own regulations, and advocates say the Trump administration is disregarding studies showing potential wildlife impacts. (The Hill)
• A federal court rules the Trump administration “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” in its 2018 approval of an Arctic drilling project without considering emissions impacts. (Anchorage Daily News)

GRID:
• A California startup secures a $100 million investment to fund a “virtual power plant” demand response program that will pay consumers to save energy at times of peak demand. (Fast Company)
• California State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduces new legislation declaring planned blackouts as eligible for official emergency declarations, freeing financial assistance for local governments. (Lake County News)

STORAGE: Southern California Edison signs long-term contracts for four battery storage projects totaling 590 MW. (Renewables Now)

HYDROPOWER:
• A Washington State public utility district votes today on a three-year contract for a 20% share of the district’s electrical generation from two dams. (Columbia Basin Herald)
• U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the GOP’s ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, is promising to protect some of the most controversial hydroelectric dams in the U.S. (E&E News, subscription)

MICROGRIDS: The Port of San Diego selects the clean energy technology arm of a major European utility for a microgrid project aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the port’s operations. (Energy Storage News)

BIOFUELS: The City of Grand Junction advances plans to increase its storage capacity for captured methane from its wastewater plant for use in city vehicles. (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)

COAL: A Navajo Transitional Energy Company program continues to provide coal to tribal citizens for free during the winter months. (Cronkite News)

COMMENTARY:
• A U.S. Representative says Congress has a duty to fully fund the operation of Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository. (Dallas Morning News)
• The Governor of the Pueblo of Laguna explains why it is important for New Mexico to enact the most protective methane emissions rules in the U.S. (High Country News)
• A California editor says the state legislature needs to reform the utilities regulator and force the public takeover all electrical companies in the state. (Manteca Bulletin)

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.).