GRID: California lawmakers are set to vote soon on a grid reliability bill that would extend the life of natural gas plants and the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant while limiting local oversight and environmental reviews on energy projects. (Los Angeles Times)
ALSO: A rural electricity co-op in southern Utah warns customers that heat-related strain on the Western grid could cause rolling blackouts this summer. (Salt Lake Tribune)
COAL:
• New Mexico environmental advocates say a plan to install carbon capture equipment on a coal power plant to keep it running beyond its planned closure later this year is a costly and unrealistic distraction from just transition efforts. (Energy News Network)
• An Alaska utility plans to install pollution-control equipment on one unit of an aging coal power plant, but shut down a second unit, saying it is unreliable and costly. (KUAC)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Denver, Colorado, opens another round of applications for its popular electric bike rebate program, reserving half of the vouchers for income-qualified residents. (Colorado Sun)
• A Korean energy company reconsiders plans to build a $1.3 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Arizona, citing rising U.S. inflation. (Bloomberg)
• Tesla shuts down a California office that focused on autopilot development and lays off 200 employees. (FOX Business)
OIL & GAS: A California lawmaker proposes a bill that would require oil refiners to disclose profits on each gallon of gasoline they sell. (The Hill)
NUCLEAR: Pacific Gas & Electric asks the U.S. Energy Department for more time to apply for federal funds that could extend the life of Diablo Canyon nuclear plant beyond its planned 2025 retirement. (Reuters)
CLIMATE:
• Washington state climate advocates say a state carbon exchange program is unlikely to adequately cut greenhouse gas emissions because it exempts some polluting industries. (KUOW)
• A Portland, Oregon clean energy program begins distributing electric heat pump cooling units to low-income households. (OPB)
EFFICIENCY: An Oregon city considers an ordinance that would require homeowners to provide a home energy use and cost assessment to potential buyers. (KTVZ)
PUBLIC LANDS: The federal Bureau of Land Management approves a California plan to restore a parcel of public land to offset damage done by renewable energy development on state and private land. (E&E News, subscription)
SOLAR: A southern New Mexico county grants a permit to build a 5 MW community solar project. (Roswell Daily News)
HYDROGEN: A Colorado university plans to install a 3.5 MW gas-powered turbine to research power generation using green hydrogen. (CBS Denver)
More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West