Heat, drought and wildfires threaten California’s grid

GRID: California officials say climate change-exacerbated extreme heat, dwindling hydropower supplies and wildfires will threaten the power grid’s reliability for the next five summers. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• Environmental groups release a ​“threat map” showing 144,000 New Mexico residents live within a half mile of an oil and gas facility. (NM Political Report)
• The operator of methane-leaking oil and gas wells near Bakersfield, California, owes the state more than $85,000 in idle well fees and has not completed a well test plan in years. (KVPR)
• A New Mexico county relaxes restrictions on oil and gas development and other industrial uses after a drilling company owner donates to a county official’s campaign. (Capital & Main)
• An environmental group finds the social cost of carbon stemming from oil and gas extraction on federal lands is higher than the revenue it generates. (E&E News, subscription)

POLLUTION: A California tech company finds Bay Area communities of color are exposed to 55% more smog-producing pollutants than majority White communities. (Washington Post)

UTILITIES:
• A utility watchdog’s report ranks Utah first in the U.S. for electricity affordability but calls out its major environmental impact due to its fossil fuel-reliant power sector. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• The sponsor of a California bill that would have shut down the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility — site of a major 2015 leak — considers abandoning the measure after a committee waters it down. (Los Angeles Daily News)

SOLAR:
• A southern Washington county approves a 94 MW solar power facility on 1,060 acres of private agricultural land. (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• Solar industry officials say a federal probe of Asian imports could cause up to 7,500 MW of California solar-plus-storage projects to be delayed or canceled this year. (Utility Dive)
• Ikea plans to partner with SunPower to sell solar panels at its California locations beginning this fall. (New York)

HYDROGEN: A French company opens a liquid hydrogen production facility in Las Vegas to supply fuel cell powered vehicles. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

TRANSPORTATION: Oregon completes upgrades to 44 electric vehicle charging stations along I-5. (KOIN)

NUCLEAR:
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs a bill that relaxes state oversight of proposed nuclear microreactor projects. (Anchorage Daily News)
• Pacific Gas & Electric officials say they are willing to apply for federal funds to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant running past its scheduled 2025 retirement date. (Bloomberg)

BIOFUELS: A bioenergy company begins the first phase of operations at a Nevada facility that converts landfill waste into transportation fuel. (news release)

COMMENTARY: A California policy expert urges state lawmakers to pass a bill that would increase access to solar power for low-income families and renters while also cutting utility bills for those most in need. (Energy News Network)