Biden allocates $366 million for tribal, rural clean energy

CLEAN ENERGY: The Biden administration allocates $366 million for clean energy development on tribal land and rural areas, including solar and hydropower projects in Washington, Alaska and Arizona. (Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News, Arizona Republic)

ALSO: The U.S. Energy Department seeks clean energy development proposals at its WIPP nuclear waste disposal facility in southern New Mexico. (news release)

SOLAR:

• A California municipal utility enters a $512 million contract to purchase solar power and battery storage to offset capacity losses resulting from a Utah coal plant’s coming closure. (Pasadena Now)
• Utah lawmakers consider a bill aimed at deterring fraud by giving rooftop solar customers a seven-day grace period to opt out of an installation contract after signing it. (Deseret News)

UTILITIES:

• California advocates say San Diego Gas & Electric’s $1 billion profit in 2023 is another reason to replace the utility with a nonprofit run by the city. (KPBS)
• A California lawmaker introduces legislation aimed at pushing utilities toward the fastest and most cost-effective wildfire hazard mitigation upgrades. (KQED)
• A Northwest utility group urges the Bonneville Power Administration to choose the SPP’s day-ahead market over the California grid operator’s, citing governance and affordability concerns. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• Federal regulators threaten to revoke Idaho Power’s market based rate authority, citing a failed power test. (RTO Insider, subscription)

OIL & GAS: Data show states hold 1.6 million acres of land within tribal nations, some of which is leased for oil and gas drilling. (High Country News)

DIVESTMENT: Oregon lawmakers near a final vote on a bill that would divest the state’s public employee retirement system from coal-related stocks. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

ELECTRIFICATION: A California city replaces its natural gas hookup ban with efficiency standards encouraging the use of electric heat pumps and water heaters. (Palo Alto Online)

GRID: NV Energy tells regulators its proposed Greenlink transmission project in Nevada is $433 million over budget, a cost likely to be borne by ratepayers. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

CLIMATE:

• A conservative-led campaign to repeal Washington’s carbon pricing program could strip more than $2 billion from state coffers, hampering lawmakers’ budget-making process. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. EPA grants $1 million to a Wyoming city to support emissions reduction efforts and clean energy development. (Cap City News)

POLITICS: Far-right Wyoming lawmakers look to defund an energy grant program that has supported carbon capture and sequestration and hydrogen production research in the past. (WyoFile)

COMMENTARY: A California columnist argues a slowdown in electric vehicle sales is less concerning than America’s apparent inability to transition away from its car-centric culture. (Los Angeles Times)