Biden schedules first-ever West Coast offshore wind auction

WIND: The Biden administration plans the first ever West Coast offshore wind lease sale in December, offering 373,00 acres — enough for 4.5 GW of generating capacity — off the central and northern California coasts. (CNN)

ALSO: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado estimates the U.S. offshore wind industry will provide up to 58,000 full-time jobs each year beginning in 2024, mostly in manufacturing. (Renewable Energy World)

OIL & GAS:
• The operator of a pipeline that ruptured last year and spilled 25,000 gallons of crude off southern California’s coast agrees to pay $50 million to area fishermen, tourism companies and landowners to settle a class-action lawsuit. (Associated Press)
• An Estonian company and Utah utility exploit a legal loophole to retain rights to billions of gallons of water from the dwindling Colorado River for a proposed oil shale mining project in the Uinta Basin. (Grist)
• New Mexico finalizes a rule requiring state land lessees to conduct archaeological or cultural surveys prior to oil and gas drilling, pipeline construction or other development. (Albuquerque Journal)

NATURAL GAS: An Oregon jury orders a pipeline contractor to pay $10.4 million to victims of a 2016 natural gas explosion in Portland. (Oregonian)

UTILITIES: A trial for a class action lawsuit blaming Pacific Power equipment for sparking four wildfires in 2020 that burned 2,500 homes in Oregon is slated for April of next year. (Salem Statesman Journal)

STORAGE: The world’s largest single-phase battery energy storage facility with 350 MW/1,400 MWh capacity goes online on federal land in southern California. (PV Magazine)

TRANSPORTATION:
• California researchers find prioritizing electric and hydrogen fuel cell truck deployment would benefit the state’s disadvantaged communities more than decarbonizing buildings. (Anthropocene)
• A California county’s transit agency launches an electric vehicle ride-sharing program aimed at boosting transportation options in rural areas. (Government Technology)
• Environmental advocate Jane Fonda blasts opponents of a California ballot measure that would tax the wealthy to fund electric vehicle incentives, saying they care more about staying rich than creating a livable future. (CalMatters)
• A California company opens a solar-powered electric vehicle fast-charging station at a Taco Bell in San Francisco, the first of 100 planned for the fast food franchise around the state. (Business Insider)

GRID: Wyoming regulators approve Black Hills Energy’s proposed 260-mile high-voltage transmission project. (Casper Star-Tribune)

HYDROGEN: Montana teams up with three Midwestern states to vie for federal funding to establish a regional hydrogen production hub. (Montana State News Bureau)