Appeals court upholds California’s right to set vehicle emission limits

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An appeals court upholds the U.S. EPA’s decision to allow California to set its own electric vehicle sales mandates and tailpipe emissions limits. (Reuters)

‍

ALSO: A California program allowing electric and hybrid vehicle drivers to use carpool lanes without passengers is set to expire this fall, affecting more than 400,000 motorists if it isn’t renewed. (NBC San Diego)

‍

ELECTRIFICATION: Berkeley, California advocates and professional cooks continue to work to electrify restaurant kitchens and homes after a court shot down the city’s natural gas-hookup ban. (Guardian)

‍

UTILITIES: A Colorado county says Xcel Energy inadequately alerted the public to a planned outage aimed at reducing wildfire hazard during severe winds last weekend. (Colorado Sun)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Oregon residents and advocates urge state regulators to deny a fuel terminal’s air quality permit that would allow it to store biofuels on the condition it stops handling crude oil. (Portland Tribune)
• Idaho regulators seek public input on proposed oil and gas drilling rules on state lands. (news release)

‍

POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA proposes allowing Wyoming to amend a haze reduction plan to factor in the partial conversion of a coal plant to natural gas, which would settle a long-running dispute between the agency and the state. (E&E News)

‍

TRANSMISSION: Arizona advocates, residents and tribal nations continue to challenge a segment of the SunZia transmission project under development through a river valley, saying it will harm ecological and cultural sites. (Inside Climate News)

‍

WIND: Wyoming advocates and local officials push back on state lawmakers’ efforts to increase taxes on wind power generation, saying it would stifle the industry’s growth. (Inside Climate News)

‍

SOLAR:

• An analysis finds solar installations in Utah generated eight times more power in 2023 than in 2014 even though state lawmakers continue to push fossil fuel-friendly policies. (Axios)
• A company begins construction on a 57 MW solar installation in southern California. (news release)

‍

CLEAN ENERGY:

• A national laboratory finds a rapid buildup of wind, solar and battery energy storage would be the most effective way for an Alaska region to tackle a looming natural gas shortage. (KTOO)
• An Arizona university is set to launch a clean energy Master of Science program this fall. (news release)

‍

BIOFUELS: California researchers predict growing demand for aviation biofuels will drive land-use changes that could offset the fuels’ emissions benefits and take farms out of food production. (AgWeb)

‍

CARBON CAPTURE: A California company proposes a pilot project at a Washington state port that would enhance ocean water’s ability to capture and store carbon dioxide. (Peninsula Daily News)

‍

MINING: A company submits a plan to restart a long-idled uranium mill in southern Utah. (news release)  

‍

COMMENTARY: A Wyoming columnist praises environmentalists and climate deniers for their unsuccessful joint effort to kill a costly coal-friendly carbon capture mandate. (WyoFile)

‍