Average weekday demand for electricity in California declined by more than 4 percent in late March and 9 percent in April compared with the same time last year, the California Energy Commission said in a new "Energy Insights" report. Residential energy usage by customers of the three investo… Read MoreQuick Bites: Energy News Roundup
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The chilling and horrific accounts of deaths from the Camp Fire in Butte County recounted in court this week drove home the point that preventing such a horrible tragedy from occurring ever again should be a priority for anybody involved with utility system planning, operation and regulation… Read MoreCalifornia's 2020 Season Will Be a Test of New Efforts to Combat Wildfires
Natural gas prices at the benchmark Henry Hub reached a low of $1.38/MMBtu June 16, the lowest price since December 1998 "in nominal terms," according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Read MoreHenry Hub Price Reaches 21-Year Low
Biomethane can be safely used in California, but exposure to the substance could damage DNA more than petroleum natural gas, according to a May report published by the California Energy Commission. Read MoreCEC Report: Biomethane Safe to Use, but Could Increase Damage to DNA
Southern California Gas Co. released new status reports regarding maintenance progress on the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility and a key distribution line. Read MoreSoCal Gas Issues Updated Natural Gas Infrastructure Repair Plans
The quiet approval on June 1 of a dozen new hydraulic fracturing permits by the California Geologic Energy Management Division further fueled consumer groups' assertion that the state continues issuing oil and natural gas exploration permits in a vacuum. Read MoreGroups: CalGEM Issues Oil and Gas Permits Without Public Oversight
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Jackie Flowers of Tacoma Public Utilities and Humaira Falkenberg of Pacific County PUD join co-hosts Karen Heim of the Public Power Council and Ahlmahz Negash of Tacoma Power for an all-female-cast episode to talk about workforces that are representative of our communities, in celebration of Women's History Month. You can find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Substack.
In the latest Energy West podcast, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about a second organized comprehensive energy market in the West, California's investigation into high natural gas prices, opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline expansion in the Northwest, and more.
We want to hear from you on energy issues and to share your thoughts with our readership. Read moreVoices From Behind the Meter
A Superior Court judge fined Pacific Gas & Electric nearly $3.5 million for causing the Camp Fire in November 2018 that killed 84 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, in highly emotional hearings that included agonizing testimony from relatives of the deceased. Read MoreJudge Fines PG&E $3.5 Million for 'Callous Disregard of Life' in Camp Fire
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali intends to confirm Pacific Gas & Electric's plan of reorganization, which would guide the utility out of bankruptcy for the second time in less than 18 years. Read MoreMontali to Approve PG&E Bankruptcy Plan
The United States can reach 90-percent carbon-free electricity by 2035 using existing technology and without increasing customer bills, according to a new report from the University of California, Berkeley, and the energy nonprofit GridLab—but it won't be easy. Read More90-Percent Clean Energy by 2035 Achievable but Difficult, Report Says
An additional 27,000 clean-energy workers applied for unemployment in May, according to a June 15 analysis that runs counter to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report suggesting nationwide economic recovery. Read MoreClean-Energy Workforce Still Struggling Despite Recovery Indicators
The Humboldt Bay Generating Station is now able to operate in islanding mode, Pacific Gas & Electric said in a June 12 announcement. Read MorePG&E: Humboldt Power Plant Ready to Operate in Islanding Mode
With the completion of a collaborative study on how to install electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty trucks along roughly 1,300 miles of Interstate 5 from the Mexican to the Canadian border, a coalition from three West Coast states now has a road map outlining a… Read MoreWestern States Have Road Map for $850M I-5 Truck-Charging Infrastructure
Reserve margins are expected to exceed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's reference margin levels in all of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council's subregions this summer, WECC said at a June 17 virtual board of directors meeting. Read MoreReserve Margins in WECC Subregions Expected to Meet Demand This Summer
The California Energy Commission on June 3 released a final report that provides comprehensive detail on how the state should ideally build and deploy renewable-hydrogen production facilities. Read MoreState Study Outlines How to Best Grow Renewable Hydrogen Production
The Colorado General Assembly's Joint Budget Committee addressed a $3.3-billion budget shortfall before returning to the Capitol to finish its regular session. There, lawmakers unveiled a package of bills aimed at coronavirus relief and passed one that could offer utility bill assistance bef… Read MoreColorado and New Mexico Lawmakers Deal With Budget Cuts, Pandemic Assistance
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on June 15 launched the Protect Our Neighbors phase of his administration's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Communities that qualify to participate in this phase must have low virus transmission levels and be able to demonstrate strong public health syste… Read MoreColorado Governor Ends Shut-Off Moratorium, Plans Reopening
The saga of two Colorado electric cooperatives curious about breaking contracts with their generation and transmission provider is one step closer to further confusion following a recent order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Read MoreFERC Accepts Tri-State Exit Methodology, Sets Matter Before Settlement Judge
NV Energy on June 1 filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada for a $120-million reduction in its annual revenue requirement as part of what the utility called in the filing a "multipart plan to assist Nevada in its recovery efforts" from the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, across t… Read MoreNV Energy Files for $120M Rate Reduction as Pandemic, Heat Bring Flux to Grid
State utility regulators left frustrated from a special meeting June 18 after legal counsel advised the Arizona Corporation Commission to seek relief for Arizona Public Service customers in the utility's pending rate case rather than through alternatives that might bring speedier but less pe… Read MoreArizona Regulators to Seek APS Customer Relief in Pending Rate Case
The House is the next stop for legislation mandating full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and setting aside energy-development revenues for restoring parks and other federal lands. Read MoreHouse Is the Next Stop for Land and Water Conservation Bill