OIL & GAS: A federal judge upholds the Biden administration’s decision to suspend oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while it completes a new environmental review of proposed drilling. (Alaska Beacon)
ALSO: Wyoming regulators hold off on finalizing an oil and gas lease in a wildlife migratory corridor following an outpouring of public concern. (WyoFile)
NATURAL GAS: A New Mexico utility says a proposed natural gas storage facility will buffer customers from seasonal price spikes, but critics say it’s not worth the risks. (Albuquerque Journal)
UTILITIES: A peer-reviewed study finds California utilities are more likely to bury power lines to reduce fire risk in wealthy areas, leaving a “wildfire safety deficit” in low-income communities. (The Hill)
SOLAR:
• California regulators propose blocking multifamily properties from consuming rooftop solar energy directly, requiring them instead to sell it to a utility then buy it back at higher rates. (PV Magazine)
• A Nevada solar parts manufacturer credits Inflation Reduction Act incentives for its plans to triple its Las Vegas facility’s production capacity. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• An Arizona county votes to ban new utility-scale renewable energy projects on private land for one year. (Today’s News-Herald, subscription)
GRID:
• Clean energy trade groups urge federal regulators to reject Arizona Public Service’s proposed interconnection process changes, saying they unfairly burden renewable energy projects. (Utility Dive)
• Idaho Power plans to break ground on its 290-mile Boardman to Hemingway transmission project this fall. (East Oregonian)
• The race to establish a Western day-ahead power market and regional transmission organization heats up as SPP and California’s grid operator vie for participants. (RTO Insider, subscription)
TRANSPORTATION: The first hydrogen-fueled commercial ferry is set to make its maiden voyage this month as part of a California Bay Area transit agency’s effort to phase out diesel ships by 2035. (Guardian)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A California school district rolls out 30 new electric buses for the first day of classes. (CBS Sacramento)
ELECTRIFICATION: Southern California regulators vote to require large commercial ovens to be nitrous oxide emissions-free, effectively forcing companies to replace gas-burning ovens with electric ones. (Canary Media)
POLITICS: President Biden travels West to establish a new national monument and tout conservation, clean energy and climate-related accomplishments. (Associated Press)
DIVESTMENT: A Democratic California lawmaker single-handedly blocks a state bill that would require public pension and retirement funds to divest from fossil fuel companies. (Capital & Main)
CLIMATE:
• A glacial dam burst this weekend in Juneau, Alaska, and swept away two homes, highlighting how similar flooding threatens about 15 million people worldwide. (Associated Press)
• A Hawaii Indigenous youths’ climate lawsuit over the state’s fossil fuel-friendly transportation policies is slated to go to trial next summer. (Grist)
• A conservative advocacy group launches a campaign to repeal Washington state’s new carbon pricing system, claiming it is contributing to higher gasoline prices. (Crosscut)
NUCLEAR: California researchers say they have successfully achieved a nuclear fusion reaction for the second time. (Phys.org)
GEOTHERMAL: The U.S. Energy Department awards $10.9 million to ten geothermal lithium extraction research and development projects, including several in the West. (news release)
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