Colorado city considers buying up oil and gas rights to halt drilling

OIL & GAS: A Colorado city considers buying out oil and gas companies’ mineral rights to halt drilling in the community. (Coloradoan)

ALSO:
• High oil prices spur companies to boost drilling and production at Permian Basin facilities. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• The operator of the Ruby natural gas pipeline running from Wyoming to Oregon declares bankruptcy, citing declining commodity prices and reduced demand. (Reuters)
• An oil and gas industry consultant finds Colorado’s new drilling regulations will cost a county about $1.6 million per year in lost tax revenue. (Glenwood Post-Independent)

GRID:
• An analysis finds weather-triggered power outages have increased in duration and frequency in California and other states over the past several years due in part to climate change. (Associated Press)
• Hurricane-force winds batter Colorado utility lines, leaving more than 6,000 households without power. (CBS4)

SOLAR:
• A Colorado farm with crops planted among solar panels plans to offer agrivoltaics classes. (Colorado Sun)
• Oregon energy siting officials say they are reviewing six proposals for utility-scale solar facilities in the state, a marked uptick from the past. (OPB)

CLEAN ENERGY: Tribal nations develop renewable energy projects on their lands to create jobs and build energy sovereignty. (InvestigateWest)

GEOTHERMAL:
• An Alaska tribal nation receives $2.5 million in federal funding to develop a geothermal power project in an active volcano to reduce reliance on diesel generators. (Alaska Public Media)
• Colorado lawmakers advance a bill that would encourage home and commercial geothermal installations by exempting them from prohibitive regulations, similarly to how solar and wind are governed. (KOAA)

EFFICIENCY:
• A Colorado city votes to exempt victims of last year’s Marshall Fire from electrification and efficiency requirements when rebuilding destroyed homes. (Associated Press)
• New Mexico is set to receive up to $22 million in federal infrastructure funds to assist low-income families with weatherization and other energy efficiency upgrades. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Utah State University opens a net-zero energy campus in the southeastern part of the state. (ABC4)

TRANSPORTATION:
• California environmental advocates push a ballot measure that would tax the wealthy to fund electric vehicle rebates, EV charging infrastructure and wildfire-reduction programs. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• New Mexico lawmakers consider offering $500 direct payments and reduced public transit tickets to residents to offset high gasoline prices. (Las Cruces Sun-News)

COAL:
• A Canadian coal company blamed for selenium pollution in Montana rivers steps up efforts to overturn new state water quality standards. (Flathead Beacon)
• A Bitcoin mining company powered by a Montana coal plant says it plans to move its facility and use more sustainable energy sources. (Cointelegraph)