Oil companies support embattled Washington climate program

CLIMATE: Some oil companies line up to defend Washington’s new carbon cap-and-invest program against a ballot measure to repeal it, saying fixing the program’s flaws would be more effective than killing it. (Grist)

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ALSO: Oregon advocates challenge the Portland regional government’s transportation plan, saying it won’t live up to the state’s climate mandates and fails to reduce driving. (Oregonian)

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OIL & GAS:

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on its review of 2020 oil and gas leases in New Mexico being challenged in court. (news release)
• New Mexico lawmakers put the brakes on a $500 million plan to reuse treated oil and gas wastewater as a “strategic water supply,” and plan to gather more information first. (Source NM)
• The developer of the planned Pikka oil and gas project on Alaska’s North Slope expects the facility to produce as much as 150,000 barrels of crude daily beginning in 2026. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

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GRID: A report finds Northwest utilities relied on power imports from neighboring balancing areas to meet surging demand during a January cold snap, showing the region’s grid is at a reliability “tipping point.” (RTO Insider, subscription)

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CLEAN ENERGY: New Mexico lawmakers advance a legislative package that includes tax credits for solar, clean cars, geothermal energy and heat pumps. (NM Political Report)

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UTILITIES: An Alaska utility warns lawmakers that importing natural gas to offset a looming shortfall may not be feasible until 2030, far later than previously expected. (KDLL)

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HYDROGEN: A California transit agency says it “took a little risk” by investing in 57 hydrogen buses before the fuel produced from clean energy sources becomes widely available. (Mercury News)

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TRANSPORTATION: Arizona Republican lawmakers look to permanently kill a proposed commuter rail line between Phoenix and Tucson, saying the funds should be used to expand freeways instead. (Arizona Daily Star)

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PUBLIC LANDS: Arizona Republican lawmakers sue the Biden administration over last year’s designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon that withdrew the land from new uranium mining claims. (Arizona Daily Star)

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COMMENTARY:

• A Nevada advocate urges support for a Biden administration Western solar plan option that limits development to previously disturbed areas within 10 miles of existing or planned transmission. (Sage & Sand)
• An Oregon consumer advocate says a Western day-ahead market must cover the broadest possible geographic footprint, including California, to ensure improved grid reliability and deliver greater dividends. (Utility Dive)
• A Wyoming advocate calls on lawmakers to repeal a carbon capture mandate for aging coal plants, saying it increases utility bills and relies on unproven technology. (WyoFile)

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