PUBLIC LANDS: President Trump withdraws his contentious nomination of William Perry Pendley to head the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees much of the nation’s oil and gas development. (Washington Post)
CALIFORNIA:
• Up to 250,000 PG&E ratepayers were affected by rolling blackouts imposed by California’s grid operator on Friday to preserve system stability due to a “heat storm” that drove up energy use. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• California ratepayers are being asked to conserve energy by PG&E and the state’s grid operator to avoid additional blackouts. (KSEE, Los Angeles Times)
• The heat wave across the Western U.S. is challenging California’s transition from a grid that depends on natural gas for capacity to a system that eliminates carbon emissions by 2045. (Greentech Media)
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CLEAN ENERGY: A planned quarry in Nevada that would supply key materials for electric car batteries and wind turbines may not open due to the presence of a rare plant. (New Scientist)
WIND: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is honored as a wind energy “champion” as energy leaders across the state celebrate American Wind Week. (Albuquerque Journal, KRWG)
UTILITIES: A Colorado utility is taking steps to reduce the risk of its infrastructure starting or contributing to a wildfire. (Aspen Times)
OIL & GAS: Legal experts say the rationale behind the EPA’s decision to stop directly regulating oil and gas emissions could present problems in court. (E&E News, subscription)
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SOLAR:
• A new Arizona regulation is limiting rooftop solar installations in some Tucson neighborhoods. (Arizona Daily Star)
• A United Arab Emirates clean energy firm buys a 50% interest in five PV projects in California. (PV Tech)
COMMENTARY:
• A scientific advocacy organization says California’s rolling blackouts are historic because there simply is not enough electricity to go around. (Union of Concerned Scientists)
• An Arizona columnist says the DOE should not loosen a regulation limiting the water flow on showerheads. (Arizona Republic)
• A Navajo clean air advocate says BLM acting head William Perry Pendley is unfit to manage Indigenous homelands. (Montrose Press)
• An Oregon editorial board says breaching the Snake River dams is still a bad idea. (La Ronde Observer)