California lawmakers back off on anti-rooftop solar legislation

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

CLEAN ENERGY

• California lawmakers remove provisions from a proposed bill that would have slashed rooftop solar net metering compensation when customers sell their homes, drawing relief from advocates and homeowners. (NBC Palm Springs)

• A policy analyst says the repeal of federal renewable energy tax credits threatens 11 proposed solar installations and one offshore wind project in California and could set back the state’s climate goals. (CalMatters)

• Private-equity firm Atlas Holdings plans to acquire Evraz North America and its solar-powered steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado. (Canary Media)

• DE Shaw and El Paso Electric break ground on a 150 MW solar-plus-storage facility in southeastern New Mexico. (news release)

• Arizona utility Salt River Project opens applications to qualifying Phoenix-area nonprofits to receive a free solar system. (news release)

GEOTHERMAL

• The federal Bureau of Land Management signals its support for geothermal development with two planned lease sales in California and Idaho. (E&E News)

• A Colorado county plans to use a state grant to install geothermal heating technology in two facilities as part of to power all of its buildings with 100% renewables by 2030. (Standard-Blade)

BATTERIES

• A California advocacy group says a lack of oversight and a ​“high-risk, densely packed indoor storage layout” contributed to the severity of the January fire at Vistra’s Moss Landing battery energy storage system on the state’s central coast. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Arizona veterans and a Democratic state official urge federal lawmakers to restore electric vehicle tax credits that were axed by Congress in Trump’s ​“big, beautiful bill,” saying the cuts imperil the state’s economy. (AZ Mirror)

TRANSPORTATION

• Colorado officials say an intergovernmental agreement and state legislation are advancing plans to establish commuter rail service between Denver and Boulder by 2029. (Longmont Times-Call)

FOSSIL FUELS

• New Mexico officials say record-high revenues generated by a state land oil and gas lease sale shows that a recent royalty rate increase has not dimmed industry’s interest. (Albuquerque Journal)

• ConocoPhillips proposes drilling oil and gas exploratory wells in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska near its Willow project. (E&E News)

• Analysts say higher natural gas prices have spurred new drilling in the San Juan Basin in northwestern New Mexico after a long lull. (Hart Energy)

• U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright touts coal and says climate change is a less critical issue than ​“affordability, quantity, and supply of energy to better human lives” during a Wyoming visit. (Cowboy State Daily)

GRID

• California’s grid operator deploys AI to help streamline outage management and other processes. (news release)

NUCLEAR

• Wyoming residents push back on Radiant Industries’ proposal to establish a nuclear microreactor manufacturing facility in Bar Nunn, saying it would be too close to town. (Oil City News)

• New Mexico residents and lawmakers worry the Trump administration may fast-track five proposed uranium mines and that the state’s ​“complex web of regulations” would not be enough to ensure their safety. (Source NM)

COMMENTARY

• A former energy official urges California lawmakers to pass legislation that would establish regional, independent governance for the state grid operator’s Western day-ahead power market. (Fresno Bee)