California looks to help factories use more solar power

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.

ELECTRIFICATION

• A California lawmaker introduces legislation that would restructure industrial electricity rates to encourage factories and other businesses to electrify operations and take advantage of the state’s surplus solar generation. (Canary Media)

• The Denver Regional Council of Governments launches a federally funded program that will provide efficiency and heat pump retrofits to 2,000 low-income households, issue $40 million in home energy upgrade rebates, and train 4,800 heat pump installers. (Canary Media)

GRID

• Xcel Energy says Permian Basin electricity demand driven by the oil and gas industry, new data centers, and nuclear manufacturing facilities threatens to outpace generation supply by up to 20,000 MW by 2035. (News-Sun)

• A freight train derails and damages utility equipment in California’s Central Valley, leaving more than 17,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers without power. (Stocktonia)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom releases details of his proposed $200 million EV rebate program, which would require participating automakers to match state incentives. (CalMatters)

OIL & GAS

• Colorado regulators consider ordering Civitas Resources to move a proposed oil and gas drilling operation — and leave millions of dollars worth of minerals in the ground — to reduce impacts on a nearby residential neighborhood. (Capital & Main)

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks industry’s oil and gas lease parcel nominations for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, drawing criticism from environmental and Indigenous advocates. (Alaska Beacon)

• A Texas petroleum firm asks Alaska regulators to designate a new oil and gas unit on the North Slope, positioning the company to produce methane for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. (Alaska Beacon)

• Utah lawmakers consider repealing a gasoline-tax exemption for fuel that is exported out of state, saying it would generate enough revenue to lower in-state fuel taxes. (Utah News Dispatch)

CLEAN ENERGY

• California advocates say some homeowners are installing balcony or plug-in solar panels without utility authorization in an effort to offset rising electricity costs. (Los Angeles Times)

• Avangrid brings online its 189 MW Daybreak and 80 MW Bakeoven solar projects in Wasco County, Oregon. (news release)

COAL

• Colorado utilities Tri-State Generation and Transmission and Platte River Power Authority challenge the Trump administration’s order to keep their Craig coal plant running beyond its scheduled closing last year, saying its customers would bear the unnecessary costs. (Canary Media)

POLITICS

• U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, says the Trump administration’s ​“de facto ban” on new wind and solar projects on federal land and other policies are driving up energy prices. (KUNM)

STORAGE

• Berkshire Hathaway brings online its 75 MW Glacier battery energy storage system in Montana. (Energy Storage News)

NUCLEAR

• The U.S. Energy Department searches for states interested in housing regional nuclear fuel cycle hubs, suggesting that the administration will not try to revive the Yucca Mountain spent reactor fuel disposal site in Nevada. (Nevada Current)

GEOTHERMAL

• Nevada lawmakers propose reviving legislation that would require state regulators to analyze geothermal operations’ potential groundwater impacts as part of the permitting process. (Nevada Current)

DATA CENTERS

• Larimer County, Colorado’s commissioners consider a six-month moratorium on new data centers to allow them to develop regulations for the facilities. (Big Pivots)