Alaska waives oil and gas royalties to spur more drilling

OIL & GAS: Alaska officials waive royalties on Cook Inlet oil and gas leases in an attempt to spur drilling and stave off a predicted natural gas shortage. (Alaska Beacon)

ALSO:

• A report finds Utah oil and gas operators wasted about $48 million worth of methane in 2019, mostly through leaks, flaring and venting. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• New Mexico advocates urge Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to ban new oil and gas drilling and phase out existing wells within one mile of schools and other educational institutions. (KOAT)

OVERSIGHT:

• Colorado advocates and industry push back on the expansion of state oil and gas regulators’ role to include carbon capture and geothermal oversight, saying they may lose sight of priorities. (Capital & Main)
• Analysts say a controversial proposed natural gas pipeline expansion in the Northwest tests federal regulators’ ability to balance state climate goals against consumer costs. (Bloomberg Law)

HYDROGEN:

• Officials predict a proposed Pacific Northwest hydrogen hub selected for $1 billion in federal funding would create up to 10,000 jobs, but other details remain vague. (Edmonds News)
• An Australian company proposes establishing a green hydrogen production hub in Arizona to provide fuel for long-haul trucks. (Transportation Topics)

SOLAR: Environmentalists push back on two proposed utility-scale solar installations on federal land in Nevada, saying they are too close to Death Valley National Park and a wildlife refuge. (Pahrump Valley Times)

CLIMATE:

• A Colorado nonprofit pushes a county to make equity a primary focus of its climate plans. (Summit Daily)
• Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs a composition in Alaska about Indigenous peoples’ grief over climate change and its impacts. (KUAC)

UTILITIES: California regulators push back on Pacific Gas & Electric’s plan to spend $5.9 billion to bury power lines to lessen fire risk, saying it will take too long and cost too much. (Associated Press)

BATTERIES: A firm secures financing for 250 MW and 90 MW battery energy storage facilities in Arizona and considers building another grid-scale installation in New Mexico. (Energy Storage News)

TRANSPORTATION:

• California’s trucking industry sues state regulators over a rule phasing out diesel big rig sales by 2045. (KCRA)
• California advocates laud new laws that could lead to higher fees for large cars and increased transparency on highway projects, but criticize gubernatorial vetoes of bills decriminalizing bicycles on sidewalks and transit-fare evasion. (Los Angeles Times)

DATA CENTERS: A firm proposes establishing a data center near Reno, Nevada, that could require up to 2,000 MW of power when built out. (Nevada Appeal)

COMMENTARY: An urban planner and climate advocate say California’s plan to widen an interstate to reduce congestion will induce demand and increase traffic and emissions. (Sacramento Bee)