Judge rejects Trump-era Colorado fracking approval

OIL & GAS: A federal judge rejects a Trump-era approval of a western Colorado oil and gas drilling project, saying the administration failed to account for the project’s climate impacts. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:
• California regulators find methane leaking from a pair of idle oil wells near a Bakersfield residential neighborhood, raising concerns that the problem could be widespread. (Los Angeles Times)
• California regulators continue to say irrigating crops with oil and gas wastewater is safe, even though research shows it can lower crop yields and harm organisms. (Inside Climate News)
• Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado introduces a bill that would ban oil and gas drilling on public lands in a portion of the western part of the state. (E&E News, subscription)
• California regulators fine a Bay Area refinery and its contractors $1.75 million for safety violations resulting in the death of a worker last year. (Associated Press)
• Opponents of a now-canceled Oregon liquefied natural gas export terminal sue federal officials to release information related to alleged surveillance of protesters. (E&E News, subscription) 

UTILITIES: Public Service Company of New Mexico seeks 700 MW of new resources in the next year to replace a retiring coal plant’s capacity and to compensate for solar project construction delays. (Power Engineering)

GRID: Heavy, wet snow damages Colorado utility lines, leaving more than 200,000 people without power. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• A 225 KW solar array allows a remote Alaska Arctic village to shut down its diesel power plant for several hours each day. (Anchorage Daily News)
• A New Mexico nanoscale solar-generator developer partners with a manufacturer to scale up commercial production of ​“quantum dots” that could be used in solar-generating windows. (Albuquerque Journal)
• A southern New Mexico zoning commission greenlights two 5 MW community solar projects, pending state approval. (Roswell Daily Record)

HYDROPOWER:
• Grid officials say climate change-caused drought is likely to diminish Northwest hydropower generation during heat waves, when California needs it most. (E&E News)
• Xcel Energy’s preliminary plan to construct a pumped hydropower storage facility in a western Colorado canyon sparks opposition among area residents. (Colorado Sun)

COAL: Alaska utility officials weigh whether to close a 55-year-old, 28 MW coal power plant or spend $30 million to upgrade pollution control equipment. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

CLIMATE: Boulder, Colorado, officials seek public input on the proposed renewal of a utility tax on large businesses that would generate about $5 million annually for climate and resilience programs. (Colorado Daily)

TRANSPORTATION: A battery storage manufacturer focused on marine applications plans to establish a factory in Washington state. (news release)

COMMENTARY:
• An Arizona energy policy analyst says Salt River Project should conduct a competitive bid process to increase its generation capacity rather than build a controversial natural gas power plant. (Arizona Republic)
• A Utah columnist says the state’s governor’s energy plan lacks specifics and tangible goals, but provides a starting point for policymaking. (Salt Lake Tribune)