California startup looks to install free solar and batteries

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GRID

• California startup Haven Energy looks to tap state incentives to install solar and batteries in low-income homes and network them into a virtual power plant that returns electricity to the grid during peak demand. (Canary Media)

• A fire breaks out in a Pacific Gas & Electric substation in northern California, leaving an unknown number of customers without power. (SF Gate)

CLEAN ENERGY

• The federal Bureau of Land Management indicates it will release an environmental review for the proposed 6,200 MW Esmeralda 7 solar-plus-storage facility in western Nevada this month. (Heatmap)

• California advocates urge lawmakers to reject a bill that would slash net metering compensation for legacy rooftop solar, saying it would amount to breaking a contract with two million customers. (PV Magazine)

• Netflix powers a new series’ filming with a solar-powered microgrid with battery backup in New Mexico, reducing diesel use by 50%. (KRQE)

STORAGE

• Platte River Power Authority plans to develop a 100 MW lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage system in northeast Colorado. (ENR)

UTILITIES

• Nevada lawmakers consider legislation that would require regulators to seek ways to mitigate fuel price-driven utility-bill volatility. (Nevada Independent)

• The Orange County Power Authority in southern California launches electric vehicle charger and residential battery storage rebate programs. (news release)

OVERSIGHT

• The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service proposes a new rule that would rescind habitat protections for endangered species and lower regulatory hurdles for energy development. (Inside Climate News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• China officials push back on Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s bid to entice Taiwan to invest in a state-sponsored proposed liquefied natural gas pipeline and export terminal. (Northern Journal)

BIOFUELS

• Central Oregon residents push back against a proposed wood-burning power plant, citing air quality concerns. (Source)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A nonprofit gives Arizona low marks for policies aimed at encouraging electric vehicle adoption. (Arizona Daily Star)

CRITICAL MINERALS

• The Trump administration advances a proposed land transfer that would clear the way for a proposed copper mine at Oak Flat in central Arizona before a federal court rules on Indigenous advocates’ lawsuits seeking to block the project. (Inside Climate News)

• The Trump administration releases a list of proposed mines slated for expedited permitting, including copper and lithium mines in Western states. (Bloomberg Law, news release)

COMMENTARY

• A California consumer advocate calls on lawmakers to reject legislation clearing the way for a regionally governed day-ahead power market, saying it would undo the state’s ability to run its own power market and open it up to the Trump administration’s pro-coal policies. (SiliconValley)

• Advocates praise New Mexico lawmakers for allocating $10 million to the state’s climate investment center in an effort to fend off federal funding cuts. (Albuquerque Journal)