SOLAR: Wyoming’s Supreme Court rejects a utility’s plan to compensate rooftop solar at a wholesale rather than retail rate and hands a victory to households and businesses with distributed generation. (WyoFile)
ALSO:
- Oregon advocates push back against utilities’ proposals to slash net-metering compensation for rooftop and community solar, saying they would slow the energy transition and disproportionately harm disadvantaged communities. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
- Colorado observers say high interest rates have slowed rooftop solar installations and harmed large-scale installers, but state and federal incentives have helped keep small local firms afloat. (Colorado Sun)
- A manufacturer and utility service provider team up to bring rooftop solar installations to about 300 off-grid homes on the Navajo Nation. (Renewable Energy)
CARBON CAPTURE: A California company cancels plans to build one of the world’s largest direct-air carbon capture facilities in Wyoming, citing intense competition from data centers for clean energy to power the facility. (Cowboy State Daily)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
- Colorado extends and expands its cash-for-clunkers electric-vehicle purchasing rebate program after retiring more gasoline-powered cars than expected last year. (Colorado Sun)
- Some California big rig drivers welcome the transition to electric trucks, but say batteries must be lighter and last longer and the charging ecosystem significantly expanded. (Sierra)
- The U.S. Transportation Department awards Oregon $15 million to build up to 500 level 2 electric-vehicle quick chargers at multifamily buildings and public facilities. (KOIN)
- Observers say Wyoming’s fossil fuel-friendly politics pose a bigger obstacle to electric vehicle adoption than the state’s wide open spaces and harsh winters. (Inside Climate News)
HYDROGEN: A southern California city plans to bring the nation’s first hydrogen-powered, zero-emissions passenger train online early next year, saying it will help air quality in a heavily polluted area. (Guardian)
ELECTRIFICATION:
- Berkeley, California’s residents are set to vote on a proposal to tax natural gas consumption in large buildings after the courts shot down the city’s gas hookup ban. (Canary Media)
- A California city considers offering a rebate on electric leaf-blower purchases in an effort to phase out existing diesel models. (San Jose Spotlight)
OIL & GAS: A petroleum company official expects the Pikka drilling project under development on Alaska’s North Slope to be producing oil by 2026. (Alaska Beacon)
GRID: Unusually extreme high temperatures are forecast to grip much of California this week, increasing electricity demand and straining the grid. (Los Angeles Times, ABC7)
HYDROPOWER: Oregon researchers say relatively reliable wave power will play a critical role in the Northwest’s energy mix, but the technology may be decades away from utility-scale feasibility. (Oregonian)
COAL: Railways report a 22% decline in coal-hauling volume from the Powder River Basin compared to last year, but don’t plan to reduce rail capacity yet. (Trains)
UTILITIES: A Colorado natural gas utility deploys a leak-detecting vehicle that is 1,000 times more sensitive than handheld tools. (KDVR)
COMMENTARY: A California journalist and electric vehicle-enthusiast worries the state’s lack of reliable chargers could stifle the transition from gasoline-powered cars. (Los Angeles Times)
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