Business, farm groups sue California over climate disclosure law

CLIMATE: National business and agricultural groups sue California over new laws requiring large companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and other climate-related data, saying they overstep federal regulatory authority. (Associated Press)

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OIL & GAS:

• New Mexico lawmakers advance a proposal to raise future oil and gas royalty rates for drilling on state land. (NM Political Report)
• A company abandons its oil shale-related western Colorado water rights, citing adverse economic conditions. (Aspen Journalism)

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FOSSIL FUELS: Wyoming awards $157 million to six projects aimed at developing cleaner uses for fossil fuels. (Casper Star-Tribune)

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COAL: Utah lawmakers introduce bills aimed at keeping coal plants running longer, but consumer advocates worry they could drive up rates. (Salt Lake Tribune)

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MINING:

• Southeastern Utah residents push back on a proposed in-situ copper mining operation, saying it could taint drinking water wells. (Times-Independent)
• A mining company proposes exploratory drilling for uranium near Arches National Park in Utah. (Times-Independent)
• The U.S. Geological Survey partners with the Havasupai Tribe to study uranium mining’s human health impacts near the Grand Canyon in Arizona. (news release)

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UTILITIES:

• Democratic California lawmakers propose rolling back legislation requiring electric and gas utilities to develop income-based rate plans, saying it didn’t receive enough debate before passing in 2022. (KCRA)
• California’s investor-owned utilities ask federal regulators to reverse their finding that Pacific Gas & Electric isn’t eligible for a regional transmission organization incentive. (Utility Dive)
• Montana regulators plan to probe utilities’ power generation decisions during a cold spell that sent electricity demand soaring earlier this month. (Daily Montanan)  

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WIND: California regulators advance a proposed 60 MW floating wind turbine installation off the central coast that would power a U.S. Space Force base. (Offshore Wind)

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GRID:

• Arizona advocates and tribal nations look to push federal land managers and a developer to reroute a portion of the SunZia transmission line through the ecologically and culturally significant San Pedro River Valley. (NOEMA)
• A Western grid coalition looks to produce an “actionable” interregional transmission study to guide regional grid integration and expansion. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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POLLUTION: Republican Utah lawmakers push back on state regulators’ proposal to limit gas-powered lawn equipment use in some areas when air quality is bad, saying it would restrict freedoms. (Salt Lake Tribune)

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HYDROGEN: Wyoming awards a company $16 million for its proposed coal-to-hydrogen conversion plant with carbon capture and sequestration. (Power)

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COMMENTARY: A former Arizona utility regulator says the state’s rapid adoption of grid-scale battery storage stabilizes the grid and gives consumers more energy options. (Arizona Republic)

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