UTILITIES: Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric over the deadly fires there, saying the utility failed to shut off power during high winds and dry conditions. (Associated Press)
ALSO: Lawyers representing victims of the Maui wildfires accuse Hawaiian Electric of compromising the investigation into the blaze by removing damaged utility equipment from the suspected ignition point. (Washington Post)
NUCLEAR: A California judge rejects environmentalists’ bid to block the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant from continuing to operate beyond its scheduled 2025 retirement. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• Oxnard, California, officials and advocates push back on the state’s plan extending the life of a natural gas plant there. (Ventura County Star)
• Advocates spar with the oil and gas industry over the federal Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to restrict energy development on about 2 million acres in western Colorado. (Colorado Sun)
• A Colorado think tank finds expanding the business of outdoor recreation could ease the economic pain of transitioning away from fossil fuels. (Denver Gazette)
CLEAN ENERGY: A southern Idaho county pauses large-scale wind and solar project permitting on private land until it develops regulations for the facilities. (Times-News)
SOLAR:
• Las Vegas entertainment venue the Sphere looks to acquire up to 70% of its power from a proposed solar-plus-storage facility. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Arizona regulators allow Tucson Electric Power to cut compensation for rooftop solar by 10%. (Arizona Daily Star)
• Idaho Power breaks ground on a 200 MW solar installation near Boise. (Idaho Business Review)
• Avangrid plans to build a 44 MW solar project in southern California next to its Manzana wind facility. (reNews.biz)
GRID:
• California’s grid operator asks federal regulators to approve rules for a regional day-ahead power market. (Utility Dive)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana almost $500,000 to harden its power grid against extreme weather and wildfires. (news release)
WIND:
• A Washington state wheat grower urges regulators to approve a utility-scale wind project, saying leasing his land to the developers will allow his family to continue farming in a tough environment. (East Oregonian)
• The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians urge federal officials to restart offshore wind planning along Oregon’s coast, saying the current proposal threatens fisheries and views. (National Fisherman)
• Federal regulators side with a Montana wind developer in its dispute with NorthWestern Energy over who pays for grid upgrades. (RTO Insider, subscription)
ELECTRIFICATION:
• Sacramento, California, officials and advocates scrutinize the restaurant industry’s campaign to weaken the city’s proposed climate change plan and electrification rules. (Sacramento Bee)
• An oil- and gas-rich California city considers a climate plan that would ban natural gas hookups in new construction. (23ABC)
CLIMATE:
• Portland, Oregon’s climate justice program plans to invest $750 million over five years on efficiency, clean energy deployment, electric vehicle incentives and other projects. (OPB)
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis orders state agencies to align housing policies with climate goals by reducing sprawl, encouraging density and promoting mass transit. (E&E News, subscription)
POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA fines companies in California, Oregon and Washington for manufacturing or selling devices intended to bypass vehicles’ emission controls. (news release)
HYDROPOWER: California farmers urge federal water officials who operate Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River to prioritize senior water rights rather than hydropower production. (KLAS)
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