OIL & GAS: The U.S. Supreme Court denies an oil and gas industry request to review a lower court ruling banning hydraulic fracturing in federal waters off California’s coast, letting the fracking ban stay in place. (The Hill)
ALSO:
• Navajo Nation leaders criticize the Biden administration for banning oil and gas leasing around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, saying it could affect tribal mineral rights. (KNAU)
• Indigenous and environmental advocates laud the Biden administration’s oil and gas leasing ban around Chaco, but say it needs to be expanded to the entire region. (E&E News)
• California finishes removing and cleaning up oil shore zone piers on the state’s beaches. (KSBY)
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CLIMATE:
• Montana’s Justice Department asks the state Supreme Court to halt and take control of a youth climate lawsuit over the state’s fossil fuel-friendly policies scheduled to begin next week. (Daily Montanan)
• Alaska advocates criticize Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “all-in” plan to develop clean energy while increasing oil and gas production, saying it ignores the devastating impacts of climate change. (KTOO)
BATTERIES: Panasonic and Tesla plan to expand production of electric vehicle batteries at their jointly operated Nevada gigafactory to meet burgeoning demand. (Nikkei)
UTILITIES: Nevada lawmakers pass a bill aimed at providing reliability and price stability to NV Energy customers by upping planning requirements and regulatory scrutiny. (Nevada Current)
SOLAR:
• Developers plan to bring an 80 MW solar installation in Montana online this month, doubling the state’s commercial solar capacity. (Billings Gazette)
• An Arizona county’s leaders push back on three utility-scale solar projects proposed for federal land in the western part of the state over concerns about potential impacts to wildlife, water use, recreation and grazing. (Mohave Valley Daily News)
WIND: Los Angeles’ municipal utility extends an agreement to purchase power from a Washington state wind facility via a California public power authority. (City News Service)
HYDROGEN:
• A California startup works to develop a method of removing carbon dioxide from the air and seawater while producing hydrogen fuel as a byproduct. (The Verge)
• Washington state officials vie for federal funds to establish a regional hydrogen production hub that would produce fuel for heavy industry and the maritime and aviation sectors. (Washington State Standard)
GRID:
• Idaho regulators seek public input on the proposed high-voltage, 300-mile Boardman-Hemingway transmission line. (Idaho Press)
• Members of the Western Energy Imbalance Market reaped $419 million in economic benefits during the first quarter of 2023, bringing cumulative benefits since the market’s rollout to $3.8 billion. (RTO Insider, subscription)
COMMENTARY:
• A Colorado advocate calls on regulators to tighten pollution standards for oil and gas facilities and require direct emissions monitoring rather than allowing industry to police itself. (Colorado Newsline)
• A California editorial board urges policymakers to pursue sweeping measures to ensure the oil and gas industry plugs wells and cleans up facilities before abandoning the state. (Los Angeles Times)
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