Permian Basin oil company pays record air pollution fine

OIL & GAS: A company agrees to pay New Mexico $24.5 million to resolve air pollution violations related to flaring methane and other associated gasses at its oil and gas facilities in the Permian Basin. (Associated Press)

ALSO:

• Colorado’s oil and gas industry agrees to support bills that would limit greenhouse gas emissions and levy an oil production fee in exchange for advocates dropping proposed ozone pollution legislation. (Colorado Sun)
• Satellite data show land in the Permian Basin oil and gas fields is sinking as drillers extract record-high volumes of oil, gas and produced water. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
• A train hauling petroleum derails and explodes in northeastern Arizona, forcing the temporary closure of a major interstate highway. (USA Today)

NUCLEAR:

• A federal court upholds regulators’ decision to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California to continue operating beyond its previously scheduled retirement date. (Inside the EPA, subscription; news release) 
• A report finds repowering retired coal plants with nuclear reactors in Wyoming, Utah and other regions would reduce construction costs for new nuclear plants and offset economic losses in coal-dependent communities. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES:

• Arizona Public Service plans to begin implementing public safety power shutoffs designed to reduce wildfire hazard later this year. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• Oregon advocates urge regulators to reject a proposed rate hike from the state’s largest natural gas utility, saying it would harm the climate and low-income ratepayers. (Source Weekly)

WIND: A California court rules that a lawsuit seeking to block a proposed wind facility in Shasta County will be heard by an out-of-area judge. (Record Searchlight)

SOLAR: Western Colorado residents continue to push back on a proposed utility-scale solar installation, saying it would ​“industrialize” the rural area. (Telluride Daily Planet)

GEOTHERMAL: California offers $30 million in tax credits to a geothermal power and lithium extraction project near the Salton Sea. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An analysis finds California must upgrade its grid capacity by about 25% to accommodate projected power demands from growing numbers of electric vehicles. (Tech Xplore)

CLIMATE:

• Montana tribal nations join climate advocates defending last year’s court ruling finding the state’s fossil fuel-friendly policies violated residents’ right to a healthy environment. (Missoula Current)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to address a global climate summit at the Vatican next month, saying the ​“stakes couldn’t be higher.” (Los Angeles Times)

COAL: Powder River Basin coal production for the first quarter of 2024 fell 21% from the previous year. (Cowboy State Daily)

MINING: A uranium mining company plans to expand exploratory drilling at its proposed project in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. (news release)

COMMENTARY: Advocates urge Colorado lawmakers to pass legislation regulating facilities that convert plastics to fuel, saying their pollution disproportionately harms underserved communities. (Colorado Newsline)