Proposed carbon sequestration project in Montana raises concerns

CARBON CAPTURE: Montana advocates and residents push back against ExxonMobil’s proposed carbon sequestration project on 110,000 acres of federal land, citing potential impacts to wildlife, groundwater and livestock. (Independent Record)

ALSO: Wyoming lawmakers advance a bill amending a controversial law requiring utilities to study carbon capture for coal plants slated for retirement. (WyoFile)

OIL & GAS: 

• U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett, a Colorado Democrat, joins congressional Republicans in opposition to the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas export approvals, saying it would undercut efforts to replace Russian gas in Europe. (Reuters)
• A grand jury indicts a former New Mexico petroleum company owner for allegedly underpaying oil and gas royalties to the federal government, the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. (Center Square)
• A Colorado jury awards $30 million to an oil and gas worker seriously injured in a 2019 tank explosion. (Denver Post)

SOLAR:

• Utah lawmakers advance a bill that would increase net metering compensation for rooftop solar exported to the grid. (KSL)
• Developers propose a 90 MW solar installation on about 500 acres of private land in eastern New Mexico. (news release)
• U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, introduces legislation aimed at facilitating solar development alongside federal highways. (news release)

POLITICS: Republican Utah lawmakers push a suite of bills that would make it more difficult for utilities to retire coal and natural gas power plants. (Utah News Dispatch)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Denver shifts the income thresholds for its popular electric bicycle incentive program in advance of opening the year’s first round of applications. (Denver Post)
• Oregon plans to reopen an electric vehicle incentive program suspended due to lack of funds, but only until the money runs out again. (OPB)

CLIMATE: California and several municipalities merge their lawsuits accusing oil companies of using disinformation campaigns to thwart efforts to reduce emissions. (DeSmog)

CLEAN ENERGY: California regulators approve a plan requiring the state to reduce electricity sector emissions by adding more than 56 GW of clean energy generation and storage to the grid. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES:

• California, Utah and Arizona lawmakers consider legislation that would prohibit utilities from paying for political lobbying with customer funds. (Grist)
• Montana consumer advocates accuse NorthWestern Energy of overcharging customers about $200 million since 2005. (Daily Montanan)

MINING: The developer of a proposed lithium mine in Nevada struggles to work around environmental opposition and an endangered wildflower in its path. (Forbes)

GRID: Colorado lawmakers consider offering tax breaks to data centers, even though their outsized electricity demand could threaten state decarbonization efforts. (Big Pivots)

COMMENTARY: A California advocate urges state lawmakers to pass a bill that would establish carbon dioxide pipeline regulations. (LegalPlanet)