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SOLAR: California regulators slash compensation rates for rooftop solar generation, saying higher rates disproportionately benefited the wealthy, while industry leaders contend the change will slow solar adoption. (Los Angeles Times)
ALSO: A California collaboration launches a research facility aimed at developing methods of combining utility-scale solar with land restoration and pollinator cultivation. (news release)
CLIMATE: California regulators approve an ambitious climate plan aimed at reaching carbon neutrality by 2045 via electric vehicle adoption, building electrification and carbon capture. (CNN)
OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico Indigenous advocates urge federal regulators to reject a proposed oil and gas “man camp” in the Greater Chaco Region, citing the increased sexual violence that often accompanies the facilities. (KUNM)
• An energy think tank predicts the U.S. EPA’s proposed oil and gas facility methane rules will yield greater emissions reductions and financial benefits than the agency’s estimates. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Falling oil prices threaten to result in lower than expected revenues for Alaska schools, sparking concerns of budget shortfalls. (KCAW)
GRID:
• A Colorado engineering professor calls for power grid equipment to be redesigned to better withstand sabotage and extreme weather after a rash of deliberate attacks on substations nationwide. (Denver7)
• Heavy snows in western Arizona topple utility lines, leaving hundreds without power. (The Miner)
WIND: A remote Alaska island community considers developing a wind power project even as it looks into geothermal power from a volcano. (KUCB)
NATURAL GAS: A Washington state natural gas plant’s owner sues the state over a 2021 climate law putting a price on pollution, saying it gives regulated utilities an unfair advantage. (Seattle Times)
ELECTRIFICATION: A 59-unit all-electric, affordable apartment complex with rooftop photovoltaics and solar water heating opens in Palo Alto, California. (Affordable Housing Finance)
TRANSPORTATION:
• Montana lawmakers propose an electric vehicle user fee to help fund road upkeep and construction. (Land Line)
• A multi-agency study finds a need for a public transit line between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and northern Colorado. (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
BATTERIES: A California startup develops a method of isolating and controlling battery pack cells to prevent fires and prolong batteries’ lives. (Canary Media)
BIOFUELS: California’s wildfire agency awards Placer County $2 million to develop a biomass power facility fueled by material from forest thinning projects. (news release)
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