Supreme Court sides with Honolulu, California in climate lawsuits

CLIMATE: The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an oil and gas industry bid to block Honolulu’s lawsuit accusing fossil fuel companies of covering up climate change’s effects and clearing the way for other states’ similar challenges to proceed. (ArsTechnica, Los Angeles Times)

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ALSO: California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on lawmakers to extend the state’s carbon cap-and-trade program beyond its 2030 expiration, saying it’s needed to reach climate goals. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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HYDROGEN: The Biden administration awards a northern New Mexico rural electric cooperative $231 million to produce green hydrogen fuel using solar power and a defunct mine’s wastewater. (Albuquerque Journal)

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UTILITIES:

• Los Angeles-area homeowners submit four separate lawsuits alleging Southern California Edison’s equipment sparked the Eaton Fire, which has killed 17 people and destroyed hundreds of homes so far. (Los Angeles Times)  
• Hawaiian Electric submits its three-year, $450 million wildfire hazard mitigation plan that includes insulating and undergrounding utility lines and replacing fuses. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, subscription)

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GRID:

• Southern California utilities warn customers of potential public power safety outages as another round of Santa Ana winds and extreme fire danger move into the region. (Los Angeles Times)
• Data show the Western Energy Imbalance Market’s power prices fell sharply last summer as declining natural gas costs offset high electricity demand. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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SOLAR: Nevada residents criticize a utility-scale solar developer for bulldozing Joshua trees to clear the way for a 185 MW facility. (KLAS)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Biden administration awards California $55.9 million to install electric vehicle fast-chargers and a hydrogen fueling station for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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PUBLIC LANDS: The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear Utah’s lawsuit seeking to gain control of “unappropriated” federal lands within its boundaries and loosen restrictions on oil and gas and coal development. (WyoFile)

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COAL:

• Federal regulators propose permitting Montana’s largest coal mine to expand and increase production by about 19 million tons. (Montana Free Press)
• Colorado officials complete mitigation work on a smoldering coal seam fire at an abandoned mine near Boulder. (CBS News Colorado)

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ELECTRIFICATION: California environmental justice advocates look to expand low-income residents’ access to building decarbonization and home electrification. (Inside Climate News)

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WIND:

• Federal regulators greenlight a Wyoming proposal to use retired wind towers and blades as a coal-mine reclamation filler material. (Cowboy State Daily)
• Developers bring the 330 MW Boswell Springs wind power facility online in southern Wyoming. (news release)

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COMMENTARY: A Colorado columnist calls on state regulators to stand up to industry and adopt stringent regulations to rein in ozone pollution, which has exceeded federal standards for years. (Colorado Newsline)

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