Jury orders PacifiCorp to pay $85 million to 2020 wildfire victims

UTILITIES: An Oregon jury orders PacifiCorp to pay $85 million to victims of 2020 wildfires allegedly sparked by the utility’s equipment. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Montana regulators order NorthWestern Energy to provide more information on the effectiveness of its energy assistance programs for low-income customers. (Daily Montanan)

OIL & GAS: New Mexico Democratic lawmakers propose raising the ​“blanket” oil and gas reclamation bonding rate to $10 million to better reflect the cost of plugging and remediating wells. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

BIOFUELS: Montana residents and advocates push back against a biofuel refinery’s plan to inject wastewater into depleted oil and gas wells over fears it could contaminate wells. (Montana Free Press)

COAL: A Wyoming law requiring utilities to consider retrofitting aging coal-fired power plants with carbon capture rather than retiring them is increasing utility bills and could end up costing ratepayers billions of dollars. (WyoFile)

TRANSPORTATION:

• The Biden administration authorizes $2.5 billion in bonds to help finance a proposed high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and southern California. (Nevada Current)
• Conservative Arizona lawmakers propose banning per-mile driving taxes aimed at replacing decreasing fuel tax revenues, claiming they are part of a conspiracy to rob citizens of their freedom to drive. (AZ Mirror)
• Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo joins 15 other Republican governors calling on the Biden administration to back off proposed tailpipe emission reduction standards. (Nevada Current)
• Arizona plans to install 21 electric vehicle rapid-charging stations along interstate highways. (Arizona Daily Star)

CLEAN ENERGY: A report finds Alaska’s most populous region could generate between 70% and 96% of its electricity from clean sources by 2050, but capital costs could exceed $10 billion. (Alaska Beacon)

WIND: Alaska advocates call on a Fairbanks electric co-op to sign power purchase agreements with two proposed wind projects. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, subscription)

SOLAR:

• A San Diego water district considers installing a floating 3.75 MW solar array on its reservoir to generate power and slow evaporation. (Voice of San Diego)
• A pharmaceutical company completes a 2.7 MW solar-plus-storage system at its California research facility. (news release)

CLIMATE:

• Oregon regulators plan to reformulate the state’s climate protection program after a court axed the 2021 version of the plan. (Jefferson Public Radio)
• Los Angeles County proposes setting a maximum temperature limit on rental units to protect tenants from climate change-exacerbated extreme heat. (Los Angeles Times)
• Northwest startups work to produce lower-carbon cement. (Seattle Times)

GRID: The U.S. Energy Department awards an Arizona university $4.3 million to develop a method of quickly undergrounding power lines to enhance grid reliability. (news release)

COMMENTARY: A California columnist says climate change is pushing environmentalists to soften their stance on hydroelectric dams, which provide reliable, carbon-free power. (Los Angeles Times)