Feds greenlight controversial Northwest gas pipeline expansion

OIL & GAS: Federal regulators approve a natural gas pipeline expansion in the Northwest over the protests of environmentalists and West Coast leaders, who say it will lead to increased emissions and wildfire risk. (Associated Press)

ALSO:

• Alaska’s industrial development agency sues the Biden administration for allegedly violating federal laws when canceling Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas leases last month. (Alaska Beacon)
• A Colorado city’s residents push back on proposed oil and gas development near a residential area. (Denver 7)
• Eugene, Oregon’s city council considers restricting or banning new gasoline stations in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support public health. (Register-Guard)

PUBLIC LANDS: Wyoming’s congressional delegation urges the Biden administration to rescind a proposal that would limit energy development on more than 2 million acres in the southwestern part of the state. (Casper Star-Tribune)

GRID:

• The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon receive $250 million in federal funding to upgrade and expand transmission lines. (Indian Gaming)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards Xcel Energy $100 million to fund wildfire mitigation and grid resilience projects in Colorado, New Mexico and other states. (9 News)
• Alaska’s energy authority receives $206.5 million in federal funding for grid-scale battery systems and a high-voltage submarine transmission cable between Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. (KSRM)
• Federal regulators approve an asset swap aimed at facilitating development of a high-voltage transmission line that will carry Wyoming wind power to the Northwest. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• California regulators require new swimming pool equipment to default to operating during low power prices and high solar generation to reduce grid strain. (PV Magazine)

SOLAR:

• A Colorado county’s residents spar over proposed land use codes that would regulate utility-scale solar siting. (KAJX)
• Federal regulators consider ordering an Arizona power cooperative to interconnect a proposed 300 MW solar-plus-storage installation to its grid. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• At least 44 California cities have automated, real-time residential solar and battery storage permitting systems, reducing approval times and costs. (RTO Insider, subscription)

CLIMATE:

• An Oregon natural gas utility delays a plan to purchase $40 million in climate credits, potentially hindering its ability to achieve state-mandated emissions reductions. (OPB)
• California regulators consider phasing out climate credits for dairies that capture methane and use it as fuel, saying it encourages natural gas production. (CalMatters)

GEOTHERMAL: Rural Colorado residents air concerns about a proposed geothermal power project in the central part of the state. (Mountain Mail)

COAL: Wyoming sues the U.S. EPA for not acting on its proposed coal ash disposal plan within 180 days of the state’s submission, as required by law. (Cowboy State Daily)

COMMENTARY: A California columnist says hydrogen could one day be a climate solution, but for now it is a dangerous distraction sowing division and mistrust among politicians and environmentalists. (Los Angeles Times)