California lawmakers consider pro-geothermal bills

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GEOTHERMAL

• California advocates urge lawmakers to pass a suite of bills aimed at streamlining geothermal permitting on state lands and expediting a proposed Geysers energy facility expansion. (North Bay Business Journal)

TRANSPORTATION

• The Trump administration considers canceling federally funded bike lanes, electric vehicle charging stations and other ​“green infrastructure” projects in Washington state. (Seattle Times)

• A report finds Oregon, California and eight other states have achieved a 2013 goal of collectively registering 3.3 million new electric vehicles by 2025. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Oregon and California grapple with ways to fund transportation projects as gasoline tax revenues decrease. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A study finds California rooftop solar provided a $1.5 billion net benefit to all ratepayers in the state last year. (PV Magazine)

• A Colorado city urges lawmakers to reject a bill that would require municipalities to adopt automated residential solar and storage permitting software, saying it could override local zoning. (Boulder Reporting Lab)

• A California community choice aggregator brings online two solar-plus-storage installations totaling 600 MW of generating capacity. (PV Magazine)

• A developer proposes a 140 MW solar installation on private land in southwestern Colorado. (Cortez Journal)

• Advocates criticize the Trump administration’s pick to run its federal efficiency and renewable energy office, saying the Colorado oil and gas firm executive lacks experience in the field. (E&E News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Wyoming’s industry and advocates differ on how the U.S. EPA’s regulatory rollbacks will affect oil and gas drilling and environmental protection in the state. (WyoFile)

• New Mexico lawmakers advance a bill that would cut state income taxes for lower-income residents but hike them for oil producers. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

GRID

• New Mexico officials say a utility line sparked a grass fire in the northeastern part of the state that burned 21,300 acres. (Source NM)

• Reno, Nevada’s city council approves a proposed new data center despite planning commission concerns regarding the facility’s energy use. (Reno Gazette Journal)

• California regulators reject calls to eliminate a rule allowing utilities to leave in place idle or abandoned power lines like the one suspected of sparking one of the deadly Los Angeles-area fires in January. (NBC Bay Area)

• The federal Bureau of Reclamation transfers a transmission project in southern Utah to a consortium of utilities, opening the door for upgrades. (Daily Herald)

STORAGE

• California regulators approve San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposal to nearly double the capacity of a battery energy storage system. (Renewables Now)

HYDROPOWER

• The Trump administration pauses negotiations with Canada over the Columbia River Treaty, which governs some hydropower operations in the Northwest. (E&E News)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• RMI research finds pairing renewable and fossil fuel generation into ​“power couples” could help data centers meet rising demand without drawing from the grid, Jeff St. John reports.

• Democratic lawmakers in Vermont face significant challenges passing any bills to advance clean energy measures this session, as Gov. Phil Scott attempts to roll back parts of the state’s landmark climate law, Sarah Shemkus reports.