Washington state climate lawsuit targets Big Oil

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.

CLIMATE

• Washington state residents file a lawsuit accusing oil and gas companies of knowingly misleading the public about the dangers of climate change and contributing to disasters that lead to higher homeowners insurance premiums. (KIRO 7)

• Data show Boulder, Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased 50% since 2005, but city officials say they must take more aggressive measures to meet future targets. (Boulder Reporting Lab)

COAL

• Montana advocates file a lawsuit accusing state regulators of violating the state constitution by making more than 300 changes to the Bull Mountain coal mine’s permits without public input. (Montana Public Radio)

• Researchers find coal ash from U.S. power plants could contain up to $165 billion worth of rare earth metals. (Rare Earth Exchanges)

OIL & GAS

• Observers say Phillips 66’s and Kinder Morgan’s proposed gasoline pipeline into California could fill the fuel gap left by the pending closure of two refineries and signals that the industry believes the state will depend on petroleum for decades. (Los Angeles Times)

• BP brings its Olympic Pipeline into the Northwest back in service after it was shut down following a gasoline leak. (Oregonian)

• Houston firm Sable Offshore’s bid to restart an oil and gas drilling rig off California’s coast faces opposition from residents and regulators. (Wall Street Journal)

CARBON CAPTURE

• Alaska regulators publish draft carbon injection and sequestration regulations that are expected to facilitate the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project. (Alaska Beacon)

UTILITIES

• California lawmakers call on state utility regulators to hold Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison accountable for delays in connecting customer-owned solar and battery systems. (Fox26)

• New Mexico advocates and lawmakers call on regulators to require greater transparency around a private equity firm’s proposed acquisition of New Mexico Gas Company, citing the purchaser’s checkered past. (Source NM)

• Xcel Energy advances its non-pipeline effort to stem predicted natural gas shortages in Colorado mountain towns. (Summit Daily)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A western Colorado community center rushes to finish installing a solar array before federal clean energy tax incentives expire. (Grand Junction Sentinel)

• A Colorado mountain town brings online a 1.1 MW solar installation at 8,900 feet above sea level, making it one of the nation’s highest elevation large-scale arrays. (Big Pivots)

TRANSPORTATION

• California waste hauler Recology looks to transition its 2,600-truck fleet to battery electric and fuel cell powered vehicles, even though the Trump administration has nixed the state’s clean car mandate. (Utility Dive)

• Tesla opens a mostly off-grid 164-unit electric vehicle charging station powered by a solar-plus-storage installation in Lost Hills, California. (Clean Technica)

• An automobile manufacturing coalition says it has or plans to install about 2,000 new electric-vehicle chargers in California this fall. (Clean Technica)

• The Federal Highway Administration approves Idaho’s plan to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state. (Idaho Capital Sun)

DATA CENTERS

• Utah lawmakers advance legislation that would require data centers to disclose annual water use, but does not address electricity consumption. (Utah News Dispatch)

CRITICAL MATERIALS

• Anson Resources looks to raise $14 million to fund its direct lithium extraction project in Green River, Utah. (Mining)

COMMENTARY

• California ocean advocates urge the state’s residents and officials to revive a ​“Blue Wall” to resist the Trump administration’s plans to open coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. (Lookout Santa Cruz)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Can the war on coal still be won? — Michael Grunwald

• Hundreds of low-income Illinois families are going electric — for free — Kari Lydersen

• Chart: Solar and wind are meeting — and exceeding — new power demand — Dan McCarthy

• Some gas stations are revamping to attract EV drivers with time to kill — Benton Graham