GRID: California analysts urge utilities to look for innovative ways to make the electricity grid more resilient after a series of storms left more than 400,000 people without power at one time. (Los Angeles Times) 

ALSO: A report from NV Energy finds heavy, wet snow downed wires, broke poles and damaged transformers in Nevada, leaving almost 124,000 customers without power over the New Year’s holiday. (RTO Insider, subscription)  

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STORAGE: California local governments sign a 25-year, $775 million contract to buy power from a proposed compressed air energy storage project in the San Joaquin Valley that would be the largest in the world. (Los Angeles Times)

CLIMATE:
• A Colorado lawmaker proposes a bill that would eliminate carbon emissions by 2050, set aggressive interim greenhouse gas reduction targets and offer a 30% tax credit for purchases of electric lawn equipment. (Colorado Sun)
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who doesn’t believe greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, wants the state to cash in on carbon sequestration. (Alaska Beacon) 

UTILITIES:
• California regulators plan to investigate the causes of recent natural gas price spikes and seek ways to offset resulting utility bill increases. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• California Indigenous and environmental advocates physically block Pacific Gas & Electric workers from cutting down a tree that houses a bald eagle’s nest. (Mendocino Voice)

OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico environmental advocates say relying on the oil and gas industry to monitor and report pollution from their own facilities compromises otherwise strong state methane emissions rules. (Searchlight New Mexico)
• Alaska’s North Slope oil and gas producers increased crude production in 2022 after two decades of steady declines. (Anchorage Daily News, subscription)

SOLAR:
• Developers complete construction of a 36 MW solar-plus-storage facility in Oahu, Hawaii. (Hawaii News Now)
• A Hawaii utility and energy cooperative propose developing two community solar projects on Molakai Island. (MauiNOW)
• San Francisco launches a pilot program using a web-based app to streamline residential solar permitting. (Solar Magazine)

WIND: New Mexico’s Supreme Court hears a rancher’s lawsuit against the state for allowing wind development on land he leased for cattle grazing. (NM Political Report) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A Colorado gold mine plans to convert its diesel haul truck fleet to battery-powered autonomous vehicles. (Gazette)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards more than $20 million to seven projects in Western states looking to strengthen the domestic advanced electric vehicle battery supply chain. (news release)

HYDROPOWER: An Israeli company plans to deploy a wave-energy power plant at the Port of Los Angeles in California. (Power) 

MICROGRIDS:
• A California city launches a microgrid design and operation training program for residents. (Bakersfield Californian)
• A California university secures $1 million in federal funding to build a solar-powered microgrid. (news release)

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Jonathan hails from southwestern Colorado and has been writing about the land, cultures, and communities of the Western United States for more than two decades. He compiles the Western Energy News digest. He is the author of three books, a contributing editor at High Country News, and the editor of the Land Desk, an e-newsletter that provides coverage and context on issues critical to the West.