STORAGE: Solar and storage systems providers are busier than ever under California’s COVID-19 “shelter in place” directive. (Energy Storage News)

CALIFORNIA: PG&E is continuing with a Napa Valley project it says is “critical wildfire safety work … and critical to support important transmission reliability.” (St. Helena Star)

SOLAR: Colorado’s solar industry is pushing for extending tax credits so projects can be finished that were slowed down or suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Denver Post)

COAL: Another analysis finds a proposed carbon capture project in New Mexico is not economically feasible. (E&E News, subscription)

EFFICIENCY: A zero net energy archive facility is now complete in San Diego, California, part of the city’s strategic energy plan which includes energy and water efficiency in new buildings. (GlobeSt.com)

PUBLIC LANDS:
• The BLM received bids on just 40% of the 193,584 acres of public land offered for leasing in Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. (Reuters)
• Oil and gas developers bid on almost 72,000 acres of public land in Wyoming yesterday, with roughly 72% of available leases receiving offers. (Casper Star-Tribune)  

OIL & GAS:
• Permian major player Occidental Petroleum is cutting the pay of its CEO and staff in a bid to combat plummeting oil prices and save cash. (Reuters)
• Kern County, California oil producers expect a sustained industry slowdown despite being designated an essential service by the state because of ongoing market volatility. (Bakersfield Californian)

TECHNOLOGY:
• Panasonic is working on unifying the various energy systems in the home into a single, intelligent operating unit at Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 in Nevada. (Clean Technica)
• Silicon Valley fuel cell company Bloom Energy is using its expertise to refurbish ventilators for the state of California as requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Microgrid Knowledge)

WIND: A wind farm project in Idaho might break ground in 2022 and could potentially be the largest in the state. (Times-News)

UTILITIES: Community choice aggregation programs in the San Diego area are now holding virtual meetings due to restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

COMMENTARY:
• A California editorial board says Gov. Gavin Newsom’s deal with PG&E could still result in a new owner for the “the state’s most dangerous utility.” (Los Angeles Times)
• A Nevada mining advocate says a BLM whistleblower’s complaint against the agency fails to explain that Congress directs how BLM must manage public lands. (Reno Gazette Journal)
• Conservationists say California’s Diablo Range is the state’s next great conservation story due to threats including energy development. (Bay Nature)

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).