Tesla begins mass-producing its electric Semi

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Western Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A clean transportation expert says Tesla launching high-volume production of its battery-electric Semi could transform the freight-hauling industry, especially in California, by offering an affordable alternative to diesel trucks. (Canary Media)

CLEAN ENERGY

• California’s Energy Commission issues Golden State Wind an administrative subpoena seeking documents and information related to the firm accepting a payout to abandon its offshore wind lease along the state’s coast, saying federal taxpayer dollars should not be used to ​“make projects disappear.” (Associated Press)

• A California energy expert remains optimistic about the state’s ability to reach clean energy goals by 2032 despite the Trump administration’s unfriendly policies and expiring federal tax credits. (Inside Climate News)

• National Laboratory of the Rockies researchers propose retrofitting the Ivanpah concentrated solar project in California with molten salt storage, saying it would improve the economics for utilities looking to exit the unprofitable project. (SolarPACES)

• Oregon’s Energy Department plans to reopen the state’s rooftop solar and residential battery storage rebate program with $1.1 million in new funding in June. (PV Magazine)

• Flagstaff, Arizona’s city council considers purchasing renewable energy credits from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority instead of APS, saying it would save the city about $20,000 annually. (Daily Sun)

• Grand County, Colorado’s commissioners ban utility-scale solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects for two years to develop regulations for the facilities. (Sky-Hi News)

• Southern California Edison awards Santa Barbara County $15.3 million to fund a solar-powered microgrid in Isla Vista. (Santa Barbara Independent)

• Longroad Energy brings online its 111 MW Sun Pond solar-plus-storage project in Maricopa County, Arizona, to serve two California utilities. (Solar Power World)

GRID

• California energy officials say the state’s grid is prepared to meet peak demand this summer after adding about 31 GW of capacity since rolling power outages gripped the state in August 2020. (Mercury News)

• Colorado State University researchers launch the Grid Modernization Initiative to use artificial intelligence to enhance grid resilience and reliability. (news release)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Financial filings show California driller Sable Offshore paid CEO Jim Flores $76 million last year, making him one of the industry’s highest earners even though the firm produced no oil last year. (Bloomberg)

UTILITIES

• Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel says its utilities will pull out of states with robust clean energy requirements after the firm sold off PacifiCorp’s assets in Washington state. (E&E News)

STORAGE

• The Platte River Power Authority begins construction on its 400 MWh Weld battery energy storage system in northeastern Colorado. (Coloradoan, Construction Owners)

DATA CENTERS

• Box Elder County, Utah’s commissioners vote to greenlight the proposed Stratos hyperscale data center complex that would be powered by on-site natural gas generators, but is still subject to state permitting. (Utah News Dispatch)

• Wyoming advocates push back on Prometheus Hyperscale’s plans to power its proposed 1.5 GW data center complex in Converse County with natural gas turbines, citing air quality concerns. (Oil City News)