OIL & GAS: The companies responsible for a 2016 oil spill in Southern California agree to pay $1.6 million in civil penalties, costs, and natural resources damage. (Los Angeles Times)

ALSO:
• Chevron is using one of California’s clean energy programs to produce oil more cheaply, which environmentalists say could undermine the program’s aim to usher in more renewable fuels. (Bloomberg)
• Montana Gov. Mark Gordon is pleased with a federal ruling that will allow the state to resume litigation challenging a rule that forces energy companies to capture and use natural gas rather than vent or flare it. (Cowboy State Daily)

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COAL:
• Local officials are preparing for the economic consequences of the impending shutdown of New Mexico’s coal-fired Escalante Generating Station. (Associated Press)
• PacifiCorp agrees yet again to accelerate its exit from coal power, agreeing to remove Colstrip costs from customer bills in Washington state by 2023. (Billings Gazette)
• New Mexico regulators must make a decision by the end of the month on solar contracts that would replace San Juan Generating Station power. (Farmington Daily Times)
• Colorado clean energy advocates see a utility’s early closure of a coal-powered power plant as a sign of major change for Colorado Springs’ energy future. (KRCC)

HYDROPOWER: A pumped-hydropower energy storage developer is considering a Wyoming reservoir for a new project. (Wyoming News Exchange)

PIPELINES: Wyoming lawmakers, citizens, and industry leaders are divided over the Trump administration’s revisions to regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. (Casper Star-Tribune)

SOLAR:
• California’s mandate requiring solar panels on the roofs of most new homes may take longer to implement due to construction slowdowns and fewer permits being issued as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (Greentech Media)
• Elon Musk predicts a big future for Tesla’s energy business, despite the company’s worst-ever quarter for solar installations. (Greentech Media) 

STORAGE: A Nevada-based alternative and renewable energy technology company purchases a 20 MW energy storage plant in California. (Renewables Now)

UTILITIES:
• Arizona regulatory staff propose a technology-based 100% Clean Energy Standard by 2050. (Utility Dive)
• New Mexico’s largest electricity provider announces the advancement of its initiative aiming to strengthen the utility’s sustainability efforts. (news release)

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ACTIVISM: The Sierra Club confronts the racist views held by its 19th-century founder, John Muir. (Los Angeles Times)

COMMENTARY: A Colorado journalist discusses the impact of months of oil market volatility on drillers in the northern part of the state. (KUNC)

Lisa Ellwood

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).