CLIMATE: Oregon lawmakers pass a sweeping climate bill requiring utilities to completely cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 — one of the most aggressive clean energy timelines in the nation. (Salem Statesman Journal)
GRID:
• California could face power shortages this summer as drought depletes hydropower and natural gas supplies run low. (Bloomberg)
• More than 5,000 homes lose power in the Portland area as temperatures shatter all-time records. (KOIN)
• California grid operators are asking customers to cut electricity use in the afternoons as another heat wave hits the state. (KPIX)
OIL & GAS:
• The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes assume ownership of an oil and gas field on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. (Cheyenne Post)
• A dispute over how to distribute Alaska’s oil-wealth fund threatens to shut down the state government. (E&E News, subscription)
• Bankrupt oil firms leave California taxpayers on the hook for the millions of dollars it’ll take to clean up oil and gas wells. (Desert Sun)
• Los Angeles officials launch a public health assessment of the neighborhoods surrounding the largest urban oilfield in the nation. (CBSLA)
• As Permian Basin drilling recovers from its COVID-19-related slump, a Houston company expands its wastewater recycling facility. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
LITHIUM: A global company opens an 80,000-square-foot lithium battery manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada. (news release)
SOLAR:
• California regulators vote to modify the method for calculating utilities’ avoided costs for distributed generation installations, potentially undercutting the value of rooftop solar. (Solar Power World)
• MGM Resorts flips the switch on its 100-megawatt solar installation that will power 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip. (Las Vegas Review Journal)
• The largest solar carport in New Mexico provides about 40 percent of three government buildings’ electricity. (Albuquerque Journal)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Portland’s transit operator temporarily shuts down rail lines due to heat-related mechanical issues. (Oregonian)
• New Mexico will develop rules next year requiring dealers to sell low-emissions vehicles. (KRQE)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Albuquerque installs 18 new electric vehicle chargers, nearly doubling the number of stations. (KRQE)
• An Alaska aviation company signs up to purchase hybrid-electric aircraft from a California company. (Anchorage Daily News)
COAL: Shipments of Powder River Basin coal inch upward as heat-related electricity demand and natural gas prices climb. (S&P Global)
COMMENTARY:
• A Colorado mental health advocate says oil and gas development near residential areas can cause chronic stress for those living nearby. (Colorado Sun)
• A New Mexican solar advocate urges regulators require Avangrid to preserve state net metering policies after the firm acquires Public Service Company of New Mexico. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A Wyoming editorial board says the Biden administration should support fossil fuel producing states during this time of transition, rather than “simply proposing edicts.” (Casper Star-Tribune)