California regulators approve PG&E bankruptcy plan

CALIFORNIA: California regulators unanimously approve PG&E’s bankruptcy plan, increasing the likelihood the utility will meet its June 30 exit deadline. (New York Times)

ALSO:
• Tesla and other stakeholders push California regulators to require PG&E to issue a clean energy solicitation to improve grid resiliency this year. (Microgrid Knowledge)
• As anticipated, California’s latest quarterly cap-and-trade sales generated little money for the state as industrial activity slowed during coronavirus shutdowns. (KQED)

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PIPELINES: The Trump administration loses a legal challenge aiming to revive fast-track permitting for pipelines, the latest in a string of court defeats for efforts to advance fossil fuels. (Bloomberg Law, Associated Press)

COAL:
• An analyst says New Mexico regulators’ approval of two solar power purchase agreements, at a price much lower than a proposed carbon capture retrofit of coal plant, raises questions over whether the project is viable. (PV Magazine)
• Operators of a Montana mine confirm that almost 100 miners returned to work Tuesday after more than two weeks of unpaid time off. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• Wyoming’s new law requiring energy firms to make mineral tax payments to county governments on a monthly basis is already proving difficult to implement. (Casper Star-Tribune)

OIL & GAS:
• Legal analysts and conservationists say a proposed U.S. Forest Service rule could increase oil and gas development in national forests and give the BLM more influence over land leasing decisions. (Bloomberg Law)
• Key questions remain unanswered in the dismissal of a University of Colorado air quality researcher that activists say was a target of industry pressure. (InsideClimate News)
• In a new lawsuit, conservation groups accuse FERC of failing to adequately consider climate and wildfire risks before approving the controversial Jordan Cove liquified gas export terminal in Oregon. (E&E News, subscription) 

SOLAR:
• The CEO of Navajo Power says a major solar project is key to putting Navajo Nation citizens back to work and creating its clean energy future. (GreenBiz)
• A proposed $680 million 372 MW solar array project north of New Mexico’s San Juan Generating Station is projected to create more than 1,100 jobs. (Farmington Daily Times)
• A pipeline operator is adding solar power to its natural gas facilities in nine states, including Colorado. (Houston Chronicle)

UTILITIES: New Mexico regulators are considering a Public Service Company of New Mexico ​“decoupling” request which would allow the utility to recover all its fixed service costs independently of how much electricity customers actually consume. (Albuquerque Journal)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Pasadena, California is adding 20 fast chargers to its charging plaza, making it the largest public-access electric vehicle fast charging location in the U.S. (news release)

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HYDROPOWER: An Arizona company makes a new proposal for a hydropower project on Navajo Nation land. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: A Davis, California official explains why he believes the city’s council’s decision to lease land to a new community solar project is the right thing to do. (Davis Enterprise)