CLIMATE: At least 63 people died from heat-related causes in Oregon during the recent heat wave. (Oregonian)
UTILITIES:
• Pacific Gas & Electric seeks a rate increase to fund wildfire prevention upgrades after it was found liable for billions of dollars in damage from equipment-sparked California fires. (Reuters)
• Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s secretive task force, full of public officials, regulators, and power providers, is guiding Hawaii energy policy from behind closed doors. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
• Montana regulators for a second year postpone an energy-use reduction pilot program that would have returned $9.1 million to NorthWestern Energy customers had it been in effect last year. (Daily Montanan)
• Xcel Energy begins distributing smart meters to Colorado ratepayers with the goal of having all customers equipped by 2024. (CBS4)
GRID: The entire western U.S. is at elevated risk for power shortages this summer as power use climbs to combat heat waves, the Energy Information Administration says. (EIA)
SOLAR:
• The developer of a proposed solar-plus-battery facility in New Mexico secures financing for the project, which will help replace the San Juan Generating Station when it closes next year. (Renewables Now)
• A California community energy firm launches programs that offer discounted renewable energy to disadvantaged communities. (news release)
PUBLIC LANDS: An environmental advocacy group says the Bureau of Land Management fired an environmental specialist because he raised concerns about a Wyoming oil and gas project’s effects on nesting raptors. (WyoFile)
OIL & GAS: In an effort to head off the Biden administration’s potential oil and gas leasing reforms, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney introduces a bill that would freeze onshore drilling royalty rates at 12.5 percent. (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
GEOTHERMAL: A study out of the California Institute of Technology finds geothermal energy development can reduce major earthquake risk by inducing small, tension-relieving quakes. (news release)
HYDROGEN: Southern California Gas launches a pilot program to test a natural gas-hydrogen blend for residential customers. (Reuters)
LITHIUM: The developer of a proposed lithium mine in Nevada strikes a deal to sell the mineral to a South Korean cathode battery manufacturer. (E&E News, subscription)
HYDROPOWER: Northwestern Congress members urge the Biden administration to prioritize renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, including provisions that affect hydropower dam operations. (Spokesman-Review)
TRANSITION:
• Colorado allocates $15 million to a state office that helps coal mine and power plant workers transition into a new energy economy. (Denver Post)
• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and a California utility launch an effort to provide a just clean energy transition in Los Angeles. (PV Magazine)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs a bill creating a special taxation district for a proposed rail line on the state’s heavily populated Front Range. (Colorado Sun)
• A California city explores replacing its municipal fleet with electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. (Voice of OC)
CLEAN ENERGY: U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will visit Denver today to talk about clean energy, the infrastructure package being debated by Congress and reducing carbon emissions. (CBS4)
COMMENTARY:
• A California climate advocate says state regulators are working against climate goals by devaluing residential rooftop solar. (CalMatters)
• A California community leader says the state’s net metering policies for rooftop solar unfairly shift costs to communities of color. (Los Angeles Sentinel)