Effort to undo Arizona clean energy rules may have hit a dead end

OVERSIGHT: A key Republican announces he will not support a bill to strip Arizona regulators of their authority to set clean energy requirements, likely ensuring it will not pass the state’s closely divided Senate. (Arizona Republic)

SOLAR: California Democrats are divided over how to proceed with solar incentives, amid growing concern that current structures contribute to economic inequality. (Politico)

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STORAGE: Apple announces it’s building a 240 MW ​“grid-scale” energy-storage project at its Northern California solar farm, and purchasing more than $50 million worth of Tesla batteries. (Ars Technica, Electrek)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California’s utilities regulator wants an independent investigation of a San Diego Gas & Electric electric vehicle charging program that ran $25 million over budget before starting its second phase. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

CLIMATE:
• A proposed Colorado bill aiming to meet the state’s emissions reduction goals faces opposition from Gov. Jared Polis. (Denver Business Journal)
• California water experts say a statewide megadrought is possible after much-needed March rainfall did not materialize. (KPIX)

WIND: A new study raises questions about whether repowering older wind farms with fewer, larger turbines will reduce the rate of wildlife deaths. (news release)

OIL & GAS:
• A geologist says a new discovery of light, high-quality oil in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska indicates an oil-bearing regional geologic formation could be larger than thought. (S&P Global)
• New Mexico’s Oil Conservation Division reports it plugged 42 orphaned oil wells at a cost of roughly $1.6 million in 2020. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

TRANSPORTATION:
• President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan could benefit major Bay Area transportation initiatives as well as those in Washington state. (San Francisco Chronicle, KING 5)
• Wyoming’s legislature passes a bill exempting electric motorcycles and multi-purpose vehicles from annual decals and fees for plug-in electric vehicles. (Oil City News)
• Amazon is expanding its services to include charging other companies’ electric vehicle fleets. (E&E News, subscription)

UTILITIES:
• Southern California Edison is set to remove 11,000 palm trees in its service area as part of its wildfire mitigation efforts. (Associated Press)
• A Southern California community choice energy program is considering joining the California Community Power Joint Powers Authority. (Del Mar Times)

EFFICIENCY: A Colorado home efficiency program is raising the ceiling for loans and doubling its effort to reach more low-to-moderate-income renters. (Coloradoan)

COMMENTARY:
• The former staff attorney of Montana’s utilities regulator opposes a state bill that would make ratepayers financially responsible for Northwestern Energy’s Colstrip power plant investments. (Seeley Swan Pathfinder)
• Two advocates say non-Native energy companies and investors need to support the Navajo and Hopi Nations with renewables redevelopment in the wake of the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta coal mine closures. (GreenBiz)