Fire breaks out in violation-plagued California oil refinery

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FOSSIL FUELS

• Experts say weakened federal regulation and a lack of funding could lead to a repeat of the fire and explosion that broke out at Chevron’s environmental violation-plagued El Segundo petroleum refinery in southern California. (Los Angeles Times)

• Outdoor recreation advocates worry potential oil and gas drilling on newly leased federal parcels along the White River will harm the growing rafting industry. (Salt Lake Tribune)

• Chevron looks to sell its $2-billion pipeline network in the Denver-Julesberg shale oil and gas basin in northeastern Colorado. (Reuters)

COAL

• The Trump administration begins selling federal parcels in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana containing about 600 million tons of coal despite the government shutdown and declining demand for the fuel. (Associated Press)

• California advocates vow to continue fighting a contentious proposed coal export terminal in Oakland after the city loses its legal battle to block the project. (San Francisco Chronicle)

• U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, is skeptical of the Trump administration’s efforts to revive the coal industry, saying ​“it’s not as easy as it sounds.” (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Solar output accounted for a record 39% of utility-scale generation on California’s grid for the first half of the year, and fossil fuel generation fell to a new low of 26%. (Reuters)

• An analysis finds above-normal cloud cover and wildfire smoke dampened solar generation in the Western U.S. in September. (PV Magazine)

• Oregon solar industry officials say they face a financial ​“cliff” as the Trump administration’s ​“Big, Beautiful” law expires federal clean energy tax credits five years earlier than expected. (Capital Press)

• A Colorado solar thermal research firm says the Trump administration’s rescission of federal clean energy funding may force the company to shutter. (CBS Colorado)

• Longmont, Colorado, launches its community solar program with a rooftop array that serves about 30 subscribers. (Times-Call)

• California developer Avantus Clean Energy plans to begin construction on its Pinyon solar-plus-storage project near Phoenix early next year. (ABC 15)

CLIMATE

• Washington state’s Ecology Department Director Casey Sixkiller says the Trump administration is ​“attacking the science” that underpins climate action and hampering the state’s ability to meet emissions targets. (Washington State Standard)

EFFICIENCY

• California farmworker advocates urge lawmakers to increase funding for the state’s Low-Income Weatherization Program that helps residents install solar panels, heat pumps, and efficiency upgrades. (Inside Climate News)

UTILITIES

• PacifiCorp asks the Idaho Supreme Court to allow it to raise rates to pay for expenses related to Washington state’s Climate Commitment Act. (Courthouse News)

• Southern California Edison refuses to begin Eaton Fire-related lawsuit settlement talks, prompting plaintiffs’ attorneys to accuse the utility of stalling litigation to promote its own compensation plan. (Pasadena Star-News)