PacifiCorp writes wildfire liability-skirting legislation

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UTILITIES

• Records show PacifiCorp has lobbied for and helped write legislation that would limit utilities’ liability for equipment-sparked wildfires in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Southern California Edison’s equipment has sparked a growing number of wildfires in recent years, even though the utility spent $1.9 billion last year on hazard mitigation. (Los Angeles Times)

NUCLEAR

• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs legislation into law classifying nuclear power as ​“clean energy” after passing the legislature with bipartisan support. (Aspen Times)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Two Republicans from Colorado are among Congress members urging the Trump administration to retain Biden-era clean energy tax credits, saying they have spurred over $4.4 billion in investments and helped keep utility bills low. (Colorado Sun)

• The U.S. EPA’s clean energy funding freeze stalls the Walker River Paiute Tribe’s grid-expansion project in Nevada. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• A nonprofit that installs rooftop solar on off-grid Navajo Nation homes says the Trump administration’s funding freeze imperils its program. (Newsweek)

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on a proposed transmission link between a planned solar array and the grid in southeastern New Mexico. (Las Cruces Bulletin)

HYDROPOWER

• The Port of Los Angeles issues a permit for a proposed wave energy demonstration project, clearing the way for construction to begin. (Factor This)

• A developer proposes a pilot tidal energy project in the Cook Inlet in Alaska. (Factor This)

• U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Maria Cantwell re-introduce a bill that would establish a federal tax incentive for expanding existing dams’ hydropower capacity. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A startup plans to use Pacific Gas & Electric’s ​“flexible service connection” approach to build some or all of 125 planned electric vehicle charging stations in California’s Bay Area. (Canary Media)

• Tucson, Arizona’s transit agency puts its first all-electric bus into service in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Arizona Daily Star)

EFFICIENCY

• A court dismisses a Colorado building industry lawsuit aimed at overturning state efficiency standards for large buildings. (news release)

CLIMATE

• California lawmakers raise concerns about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to use cap-and-trade and pollution reduction revenues to fund the state highway patrol and motor vehicles department. (E&E News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Southern California public health advocates use an infrared camera to monitor and document oil and gas facilities’ methane leaks and other emissions. (LAist)

• Petroleum executives predict Permian Basin oil production will peak later this decade as drillers run up against geological constraints. (Oil Price)