Court strikes down Obama-era coal leasing moratorium

COAL: A U.S. appeals court strikes down an Obama-era federal coal leasing moratorium, opening the door for some Western mines to expand if demand exists. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Colorado establishes an office supporting small business development in the northwestern part of the state to help the region weather a coal plant’s and mine’s planned retirement. (Steamboat Pilot)

OIL & GAS: 

• A media investigation finds the money set aside to plug and clean up non-producing oil and gas wells would cover less than 2% of the projected cost. (ProPublica)
• New Mexico advocates renew calls for the state to ban PFAS, or ​“forever chemicals,” from use in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing fluids. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

NATURAL GAS:

• A New Mexico regulatory examiner recommends denial of a utility’s proposed liquefied natural gas storage facility in Rio Rancho, saying it would not result in a net public benefit. (NM Political Report)
• Alaska lawmakers introduce a suite of bills aimed at alleviating a looming natural gas shortage by facilitating drilling and encouraging efficiency and renewable energy development. (Alaska Beacon)

CARBON CAPTURE: A California county predicts a proposed carbon storage facility will create only five full-time jobs, dimming hopes the emerging industry will offset economic losses as oil and gas drilling declines. (Inside Climate News)

CLEAN ENERGY: Oregon advocates criticize a clean energy developer for donating nearly $100,000 to state lawmakers as they consider legislation aimed at expediting energy and transmission development on federal lands. (Willamette Week)

WIND: Washington state regulators consider downsizing the proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind facility by half in an effort to mitigate impacts to an endangered hawk (Seattle Times)

GRID:

• California experts urge policymakers and regulators to support virtual power plant expansion so networks of distributed solar and storage can help replace natural gas peaker plants. (Canary Media)
• Colorado municipal utilities urge federal regulators to bar Xcel Energy from allocating a proposed transmission project’s costs to wholesale customers that won’t benefit from it. (Utility Dive)

POLLUTION: Colorado researchers find higher concentrations of air pollution in Denver’s minority neighborhoods, saying it is partly due to historic housing discrimination practices. (Colorado Sun)

TRANSPORTATION:

• Colorado transportation officials propose leveraging federal funds to build a passenger rail line between Denver and Boulder. (Greeley Tribune)
• Colorado lawmakers consider a bill aimed at encouraging denser residential development near transit lines. (CPR)

UTILITIES: California lawmakers from both major parties introduce legislation that would rescind or alter a 2022 law requiring utilities to develop income-based rate plans. (Mercury News, subscription)

BIOFUELS: Hawaiian Electric plans to develop a 40 MW biofuel-powered generator in Maui. (Facility Executive)