Newsom looks to slash grid reliability funding

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GRID

• Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes offsetting forecast budget shortfalls by slashing about $423 million from load reduction and emergency supply grid reliability programs, drawing criticism from advocates. (Utility Dive)

• Oregon utilities and advocates urge state lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at reducing outages and power price volatility by clarifying and streamlining microgrid development and interconnection rules. (Microgrid Knowledge)

• Some southern Arizona residents push back on UniSource Energy’s proposed transmission project, citing increased wildfire hazard. (Nogales International)

• Tesla says it distributed $9.9 million in 2024 to members of its residential battery energy storage virtual power plant program. (Electrek)

CRITICAL MATERIALS

• Utah regulators set a lower sliding royalty rate for Anson Resources’ lithium extraction project in the eastern part of the state. (Mining)

• The U.S. Forest Service releases its draft environmental review for the proposed South32 battery materials mine expansion in southern Arizona. (Nogales International)

UTILITIES

• Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signs legislation requiring utilities to create wildfire hazard mitigation plans and partially shielding utilities from blaze-related liabilities. (KJZZ)

• The Turlock Irrigation District agrees to join the California grid operator’s extended day-ahead power market. (Public Power)

SOLAR

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on the proposed Dodge Flat 200 MW solar-plus-storage project in Washoe County, Nevada. (news release)

TRANSPORTATION

• A Washington city launches a $670,000 program aimed at distributing about 100 free electric bicycles to residents as part of an effort to reduce emissions 60% by 2030. (Cascade PBS)

• Oakland International Airport in northern California acquires five zero-emissions buses as part of an effort to electrify its vehicle fleet in the next decade. (East Bay Times)

• General Motors draws advocates’ criticism after urging federal lawmakers to block California’s ban on new gasoline-powered car sales, even though it initially supported the policy. (NBC Bay Area)

HYDROPOWER

• Northwest officials and advocates worry the Trump administration’s federal agency staffing cuts could imperil the region’s hydropower dam network’s safety and reliability. (OPB)

FOSSIL FUELS

• California advocates condemn Sable Offshore for resuming production at the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill site near Santa Barbara, saying it endangers wildlife. (KEYT)

• Environmental advocates appeal a court decision reinstating federal oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that the Biden administration canceled in 2023. (Bloomberg Law)

• Colorado regulators launch an effort to extinguish a historic coal mine refuse pile fire that has been burning for over two decades. (KDVR)

CLIMATE

• A poll finds most Nevada residents agree climate change is exacerbating extreme heat and want officials to seek solutions. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• Democratic Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signs legislation aimed at reducing emissions of climate ​“super pollutant” hydrofluorocarbons. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY

• A new American Clean Power reports clean energy manufacturing supports 122,000 jobs and creates $33 billion of economic activity annually, largely in Trump-voting states, Julian Spector reports.

• State funding and strong educational partnerships with employers has helped South Dakota build a pipeline of clean energy manufacturing, operation, and maintenance workers in the wind-heavy state, Bart Pfankuch reports.

• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejects grid operator MISO’s plan to fast-track new gas power plants to address its predicted power shortfall, Jeff St. John reports.