COAL: A federal judge rejects the U.S. Interior Department’s approval of Signal Peak Energy’s proposed coal mine expansion in central Montana, citing “sufficiently serious” errors in the government’s environmental review.
(Montana Free Press)
OIL & GAS:
• The oil and gas industry claims the Biden administration’s proposed methane emission rules give too much power to environmental groups by forcing companies to react to third-party leak reports. (Reuters)
• A peer-reviewed study finds states like California that require oil and gas firms to disclose hydraulic fracturing fluids’ contents have higher water quality. (The Hill)
• New Mexico lawmakers kill two proposed bills that would have stepped up state oil and gas regulation enforcement, but may still consider a third. (Capital & Main)
• Another Colorado county joins groups urging the Biden administration to reverse its approval of a proposed rail line that would carry oil from the Uintah Basin in Utah across the state. (Sky-Hi News)
• A derailed train spills 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel into a tributary of the Yaquina River in Oregon. (KOIN)
• Wyoming’s congressional delegates introduce federal legislation that would prohibit the Biden administration from halting energy leasing or permitting without congressional approval. (news release)
UTILITIES:
• Colorado lawmakers consider legislation that could limit Xcel Energy’s profits following public outcry over high utility bills. (9News)
• Consulting firm McKinsey agrees to pay $25 million to a California wildfire victims’ trust to settle claims over the company’s work with Pacific Gas & Electric and ties to the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)
STORAGE: A California startup says it has developed a method of converting inactive oil and gas wells into energy storage installations. (Business Journal)
LITHIUM: A California lawmaker introduces a bill that would create a hiring tax credit for qualifying lithium-related businesses in the Salton Sea region. (news release)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• California offers $30 million in incentives to fund fast electric vehicle charging station construction in the Central Valley, Central Coast and eastern part of the state. (news release)
• Pacific Gas & Electric partners with a transportation firm to establish California’s first electric passenger ferry route. (news release)
BIOFUELS: A Montana rural electric cooperative plans to double its landfill gas power plant’s generating capacity. (NRECA)
WIND: The Yurok Tribe partners with California universities to create an offshore wind workforce training program. (news release)
GEOTHERMAL: A Colorado ski town’s housing authority plans to use ground source geothermal heating in a proposed 2,300-unit affordable housing development. (Steamboat Pilot)
HYDROGEN:
• Southern California Gas unveils a microgrid that runs on hydrogen generated by on-site solar panels. (Los Angeles Business Journal)
• Developers of a proposed wind-powered green hydrogen production facility in Wyoming plan to begin construction in 2026. (Wyoming Public Radio)
CLIMATE:
• Washington state lawmakers consider legislation that would allow the state land agency to sell carbon credits and create carbon offset projects. (KPBX)
• Alaska lawmakers begin considering Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to establish carbon capture and sequestration regulations and fees. (Alaska Beacon)
COMMENTARY: A Colorado journalist suggests electrifying homes and other buildings would free residents from volatile natural gas prices. (Big Pivots)
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