Report: California, Texas grids best for new generation

GRID: A new ranking of grid operators says California and Texas have the best interconnection processes, with PJM Interconnection and ISO New England ranking last. (Utility Dive)

ALSO: Environmental groups say a proposal from grid operator Southwest Power Pool unfairly values renewable energy and storage compared to gas, coal and nuclear power. (E&E News, subscription)

OIL & GAS: 

• The Biden Administration will publish a landmark methane emissions rule on March 8, but does not provide an explanation for why the process has taken nearly three months. (Politico)
• U.S. oil production — and profits — have soared during the Biden administration even as the industry complains it’s being stifled, but the surge has largely been because of global economic factors. (Financial Times)
• An Ohio commission selects bids for oil and gas drilling under state park and wildlife areas, paving the way for a state agency to lease parcels to the companies. (Ohio Capital Journal)

CLIMATE:

• An analysis of Department of Energy studies concludes the climate impact of increased liquified natural gas exports outweighs the economic benefits. (Canary Media)
• A report finds many corporations with ambitious climate goals have failed to disclose their involvement in trade associations that fight decarbonization policies. (GreenBiz)
• Sen. Ted Cruz demands documents from a group that aims to provide judges with information on climate science, concerned they are putting oil companies at a disadvantage in court. (E&E News, subscription)
• A new report says millions more Americans will be exposed to poor air quality by midcentury, as wildfire and heat negate gains in curbing pollution. (The Guardian)

UTILITIES: The federal government considers suing PacifiCorp in an effort to recover nearly $1 billion in costs related to 2020 wildfires in southern Oregon and northern California. (Associated Press)

WIND: U.S. lawmakers from California urge the Biden administration to extend a proposed marine sanctuary off the state’s central coast even though it could hamper offshore wind development. (Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: A new weatherization jobs resource hub in Wisconsin is part of advocates’ effort to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that followed previous increases in federal energy efficiency funding. (Energy News Network)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• The Biden administration will direct $144 million to hundreds of U.S. farms for small-scale renewable energy projects. (E&E News)
• Analysts say an Inflation Reduction Act provision allowing federal tax credits to be paid directly to nonprofits makes tribal nations’ clean energy projects more feasible. (PV Magazine)

POLITICS: A conservative group’s blueprint for a Republican presidency aims to severely weaken the EPA and put more authority in the hands of political appointees rather than scientists. (E&E News)