UTILITIES: A hearing examiner flags millions of dollars in fines and profit reductions that Avangrid’s utilities have paid for service issues in New England as the company seeks to merge with New Mexico’s largest utility: “I don’t recall seeing anything about these matters in this case.” (Albuquerque Journal)

OIL & GAS:
• Developers of the proposed Jordan Cove natural gas export project on the Oregon coast officially put the project on hold after a string of permit rejections. (Herald and News)
• A coalition of conservation groups are suing the Bureau of Land Management over a plan to allow fracking on 35,000 acres in Colorado, saying the agency failed to consider climate impacts. (E&E News, subscription)
• A U.S. House committee will hold a hearing this week on a bill that would ban offshore drilling along the California coast. (Coast News)
• Officials in Weld County, Colorado, are trying to coax Denver oil companies to relocate their offices to “an energy-friendly county” in protest of city officials calling for restrictions on drilling. (Greeley Tribune)

HYDROGEN: Developers of a massive “green hydrogen” energy storage hub in Utah have been invited to apply for up to $595 million in Department of Energy loans. (Energy Storage News) 

CLEAN ENERGY:
• A proposed $1.5 billion wind, solar, and pumped-storage project near Boise is expected to begin operations in 2026, but developers still need key federal and state permits. (Idaho Mountain Express)
• Santa Barbara, California, officials approve a community choice energy program to expand renewable energy options for residents. (Noozhawk)

SOLAR:
• A California community energy provider is proposing a $4.50 monthly fee for customers who own solar panels, amid the state’s larger battle over compensation for customer-owned energy. (Monterey County Weekly)
• A community choice aggregator enters a 20-year agreement to buy power from a 50 MW solar/storage project in California. (Energy Storage News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A Colorado company that installs electric drivetrains in trucks and buses is expanding as demand for electric commercial vehicles increases. (Denver Post)
• A Colorado program connects prospective electric vehicle buyers to “coaches” who can help them navigate the benefits and challenges. (Colorado Sun)
• A rural Colorado town’s electric school bus will be integrated into the grid so a local co-op can study how to use electric vehicle batteries to shave peak demand. (Mountain Town News)
• The developer of a proposed California electric truck stop says the facility “is going to be one of many for us.” (Bakersfield Californian)

TRANSITION:
• Some of the projects proposed to help workers displaced by the closure of New Mexico’s San Juan Generating Station would depend on increased natural gas production. (New Mexico Political Report)
• A new report highlights which Powder River Basin coal mines and communities are most at risk from abrupt closures. (Sightline Institute)

FOSSIL FUELS: Colorado Democrats are including the oil and coal industries in a proposal to eliminate tax breaks for corporations while increasing tax credits for workers. (Denver Post)

COMMENTARY: An editorial writer says federal approval of a Massachusetts wind farm should point the way for California to follow. (Los Angeles Times)

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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.