ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California-based rideshare company Lyft promises to shift to 100% electric vehicles by 2030. (Greentech Media)
ALSO:
• A new study finds that California regulators underestimated the benefits of their proposed zero-emissions electric truck requirements. (Axios)
• Proponents of an electric vehicle corridor on I-5 say charging stations will be needed every 50 miles. (Power Engineering)
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SOLAR: The Navajo Transitional Energy Company is planning to install 200 MW of solar power on reclaimed land at its New Mexico coal mine. (Navajo Times)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Some Colorado Springs residents want Colorado Springs Utilities to commit to a future energy mix that relies more on renewable electricity than natural gas. (Colorado Springs Gazette)
CALIFORNIA:
• Concerns are being raised that the process for revoking PG&E’s license after bankruptcy may be too long and cumbersome to act as an effective deterrent for the utility to take safety more seriously. (Los Angeles Times)
• Experts say investing in clean energy is one of four things PG&E needs to do in order to thrive after emerging from bankruptcy. (Greentech Media)
COAL:
• Navajo Nation advocates say aquifer depletion from coal mining has made it harder for residents to get water, exacerbating the spread of COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
• Wyoming organizations and residents are strongly opposed to a proposed federal rule change aimed at strengthening coordination with state regulators when responding to citizen complaints of potential mining violations. (Casper Star-Tribune)
OIL & GAS:
• A Colorado oil producer is set to pay $688,500 to settle a Department of Justice claim that it drilled on federal land illegally for almost six years. (Denver Post)
• House Democrats say the BLM may be unlawfully allowing oil and gas companies to seek royalty cuts because of the coronavirus crisis. (E&E News, subscription)
• Alaska’s congressional delegation wants federal regulators to investigate whether several banks have unlawfully discriminated against Alaska Natives by refusing to fund Arctic oil and gas projects. (Anchorage Daily News)
GRID: California’s grid operator says statewide load reductions since the first full week of the statewide stay-at-home order have not impacted reliability. (Utility Dive)
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UTILITIES: An attorney for the La Plata Electric Association says the cooperative’s contract buyout costs would only be $40 million if accepted by state regulators. (Durango Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• The CEO of a nonpartisan California climate policy think tank says decarbonizing the electric grid, and electrifying everything is key to the state’s post-pandemic economy. (Forbes)
• The U.S. Undersecretary of Energy explains how Colorado small businesses will be at the forefront of economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and charting a path for the nation’s energy future. (Greeley Tribune)
• A Colorado advocate explains how methane from oil and gas drilling is a major contributor to the state’s non-compliance with federal standards. (Colorado Politics)
• Two New Mexico advocates say over-reliance on oil and gas has led to ineffective tax breaks which drain the state of funds needed to invest in clean energy. (KRWG)