Colorado lawmakers kill proposed oil and gas drilling ban

OIL & GAS: Colorado lawmakers kill legislation that would have banned new oil and gas drilling beginning in 2030, after industry, regulators and local governments raised concerns about its economic impacts. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:

• A New Mexico judge allows a petroleum industry group to intervene in an advocates’ lawsuit accusing state regulators of shirking their constitutional duty to protect residents from oil and gas-related pollution. (NM Political Report)
• An Oregon auditor finds Zenith Energy violated lobbying rules by failing to disclose efforts to influence Portland officials prior to their approval of a land-use permit for the company’s oil terminal. (Oregonian)

ELECTRIFICATION: California startups develop software aimed at helping contractors and homeowners navigate electrification rebate and incentive paperwork. (Canary Media)

SOLAR: The U.S. Agriculture Department awards a Montana electric cooperative nearly $500,000 to help fund its third community solar project. (KPAX)

ENERGY STORAGE: A developer scales back the footprint and capacity of a proposed grid-scale battery energy storage facility in southern California, but some residents still oppose it. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• New Mexico regulators approve El Paso Electric’s transportation electrification plan, including a $4,000 electric vehicle purchase rebate for low-income customers. (Utility Dive)
• Data show last year’s electric vehicle sales in Oregon jumped 41% over 2022, helping to put Portland among the nation’s top metros for new EV ownership. (Oregonian)

GRID:

• The federal Bureau of Land Management greenlights a proposed transmission line in Wyoming designed to connect a planned wind facility to the grid. (news release)
• Pacific Power proposes a 180-mile high-voltage transmission line in central Oregon. (KTVZ)

CARBON CAPTURE:

• Rocky Mountain Power moves forward with a state-mandated plan to study the feasibility of adding carbon capture equipment to one of its Wyoming coal plants. (WyoFile)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards a Wyoming university and a California firm $4.6 million to advance a carbon capture pilot project at a 500 MW coal plant in the northern part of the state. (Cowboy State Daily)

CLIMATE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares to defend the state’s climate policies against attacks from a potential second Trump administration. (Politico)

MINING: Environmental and Indigenous advocates step up opposition to a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon gearing up to begin production later this year. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY: A New Mexico advocate supports the state’s efforts to find ways to safely reuse oil and gas wastewater, but says there are too many uncertainties to use it for agriculture or other non-oilfield purposes. (Tri-City Record)