California looks to phase out fracking

OIL & GAS: California regulators propose halting issuance of new permits for hydraulic fracturing and other oil and gas well stimulation treatments, citing widespread public concern over the impacts. (Courthouse News)

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ALSO:

• Colorado lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would ban new oil and gas drilling by 2030 and require companies to pay more to plug spent wells. (Colorado Sun)
• A California county chooses a national nonprofit to plug and reclaim oil and gas wells. (Lompoc Record)  
• New Mexico lawmakers advance legislation that would increase oil and gas royalty rates on new state land leases. (NM Political Report)

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STORAGE: Federal regulators advance a proposed 1,200 MW pumped hydropower storage project in Washington state, raising concerns among tribal nations and environmentalists. (OPB)

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SOLAR:

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom shortens the permit appeal period for a proposed solar installation on federal and private land in the southern part of the state. (Desert Sun)
• Arizona ranchers, developers and land managers work to minimize solar installations’ impacts to wildlife and their habitat. (New York Times)
• The U.S. Energy Department seeks developers for a commercial solar project on federal lands at a former nuclear weapons test site in Nevada. (Reuters)
• An Oregon agrivoltaics researcher predicts a proposed 500 MW solar installation on a Wyoming ranch would improve forage for the landowner’s sheep. (Cowboy State Daily)
• A developer begins construction on a 377 MW solar plus 300 MW battery storage installation in Arizona. (Solar Quarter)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Amazon agrees to begin purchasing clean energy to power its Oregon data centers and donate $1.2 million to a nonprofit that installs rooftop solar. (Oregonian)
• A New Mexico lawmaker proposes establishing a solar and wind component manufacturing tax credit to lure businesses to the state. (KUNM)

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BIOFUELS: Nevada advocates push back on a proposal to harvest pinyon and juniper trees to produce methanol, saying the long-term damage to forest ecosystems outweighs any short-term carbon emission reductions. (Los Angeles Times)

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HYDROPOWER: California’s grid operator says a series of recent storms should boost this summer’s output from the state’s hydroelectric facilities. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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GRID:

• Western utilities consider competing options for establishing a regional transmission organization. (E&E News)
• California’s grid operator seeks federal regulators’ permission to cancel this year’s interconnection study so it can deal with a “tsunami” of existing requests. (Utility Dive)

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UTILITIES: Wyoming lawmakers are set to consider several bills aimed at keeping utility rates affordable, but critics say the proposed legislation may only sow confusion. (Wyoming Public Radio)

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POLITICS: Utah lawmakers advance a proposal to overhaul the state’s energy policy and prioritize fossil fuel generation over clean energy. (Deseret News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Colorado awards a town and nonprofit $185,000 to purchase 50 electric bicycles for low-income residents. (Steamboat Pilot)

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COAL: A freight train derails in northern California, spilling an undetermined amount of coal into the Feather River. (CBS Sacramento)

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