BUILDINGS: Washington state building code officials delay its statewide mandate for electric heat pumps in new buildings following a federal court decision overturning Berkeley, California’s gas ban. (E&E News)

GRID:
• Grid connection applications surge in the Western U.S. amid soaring demand for renewable energy projects, posing a test for grid operators. (Reuters)
• California regulators say the state is unlikely to face electricity shortages this summer thanks to winter storms that recharged hydropower reservoirs, as well as new wind, solar and batteries coming online. (Associated Press)

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TRANSITION:
• At an annual Hawaii energy conference, experts and officials say the state needs to stay committed, incentivize innovation, and involve the community to achieve its 100% clean energy goal by 2045. (Hawaii News Now)
• Two Wyoming towns anticipate growth from a planned $4 billion nuclear power plant and other nearby energy projects, but they face a “chicken-and-egg” dilemma as they struggle to finance immediate infrastructure needs. (WyoFile)

HYDROGEN: Clean energy advocates hail Colorado’s new hydrogen law as a national model because of its clear, careful parameters that favor projects where other clean fuels won’t work. (Colorado Sun)

PIPELINES: At an annual sustainable energy conference, Alaska officials revive a decades-old pitch to build an 800-mile natural gas pipeline and liquefaction plant to export fossil fuels to Asia. (Alaska Public Media)   

TRANSPORTATION:
• Washington tribal leaders raise concerns about the impact of the state’s new carbon-cap system on gas prices and tribal sovereignty. (Seattle Times)
• A San Francisco startup demonstrates a prototype for a robotic system that can swap out an EV battery for a fully charged one in five minutes. (Canary Media)  

STORAGE: California continues to lead the nation in battery storage capacity with just under half the total U.S. capacity, which grew 52% year on year during the first quarter. (S&P Global)

BIOMASS: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm attends the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a biomass feedstock research facility in Idaho Falls that will study how to transform waste products into fuels and chemicals. (Idaho Capital Sun)

CLIMATE: Montana is projected to have a normal wildfire risk this summer, as drought continues with normal precipitation and above-average temperatures expected, according to a federal fire prediction center. (Missoulian)

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Dan Haugen

Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.