California lawmakers look to rescue virtual power plant program

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.

GRID

• California lawmakers introduce legislation that would stave off funding cuts for the state’s Demand Side Grid Support program, saying the virtual power plants enhance grid reliability and reduce costs. (Canary Media)

• A Utah county votes to postpone a decision on Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed high-voltage transmission line in the state following pushback from some residents. (Daily Herald)

• Southern California Edison says it may implement public safety power outages as a heat wave and high fire hazard blanket the region. (4 Los Angeles)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Puget Sound Energy brings online its 248 MW Beaver Creek wind facility in Montana as part of the Washington utility’s effort to comply with state clean energy laws. (Daily Montanan)

• NV Energy asks federal regulators to allow solar and wind projects to cancel pending grid interconnections in the wake of cuts to federal clean energy tax credits. (Utility Dive, Nevada Current)

• The California Energy Commission schedules a public meeting on the proposed 600 MW solar-plus-storage project in San Bernardino County. (news release)

OIL & GAS

• California advocates worry Phillips 66 may shirk its responsibilities to clean up a ​“lake of hydrocarbons” that has accumulated under a Los Angeles-area refinery slated for closure later this year. (Capital & Main)

• New Mexico advocates say a judge’s ruling removing federal protections from the lesser prairie chicken could set a dangerous precedent for other at-risk species in the Permian Basin. (Source NM)

• A New Mexico oil and gas lease auction brings in a record-high $256 million even though the state increased royalty rates in June. (NM Political Report)

COAL

• The federal Bureau of Land Management releases the environmental review for Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s proposed West Antelope coal mine expansion in Wyoming. (news release)

• A study predicts that greenhouse gas emissions from coal mining on federal lands could decrease 86% by 2051, but changing land-management policies could slow or stop the decline. (EOS)

EMISSIONS

• A Colorado county and a nonprofit work to capture and destroy fugitive methane emissions from a historic coal mining area. (Aspen Times)

• Colorado regulators propose rules aimed at reducing methane emissions from landfills. (Sum & Substance)

TRANSPORTATION

• A poll finds most California voters support continued construction on the state’s high-speed railway, but are skeptical the entire line will be completed as planned. (E&E News)

• Oregon lawmakers consider legislation that would raise gasoline taxes and establish a road usage fee for EV owners. (KATU)

NUCLEAR

• TerraPower breaks ground on an advanced nuclear industry workforce training center near its proposed reactor site in Kemmerer, Wyoming. (Oil City News)

GEOTHERMAL

• A northwestern Colorado community establishes a geothermal heated and cooled business park to spur economic development in advance of a scheduled coal plant and mine closure. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY

• California columnist Sammy Roth calls on Gov. Gavin Newsom to push legislation to boost rooftop solar and redeem himself for his ​“climate failures.” (Los Angeles Times)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Trump admin orders dirty, expensive coal plant to stay open even longer — Jeff St. John

• Chart: Yes, US power prices are rising. Don’t blame clean energy. — Dan McCarthy & Ysabelle Kempe

• Peak Energy’s new battery is cooler than lithium-ion systems — Julian Spector