More energy briefs

What’s happening in other states in the energy sector.

**  The governor of Montana, faced with a slumping energy industry is preparing to make more budget cuts. Gov. Mark Gordon is trying to balance the state’s need to raise revenue.

** Ethanol advocates say the Trump administration has reneged on its promise to boost biofuel demand with a proposal that allows more waivers for oil refineries. 

** The Ohio Supreme Court rules that state regulators didn’t have the authority to limit the amount FirstEnergy could recover from energy efficiency programs.

** California inspectors are working to determine the cause of Tuesday’s explosions and fire at NuStar Energy’s East Bay oil storage facility that destroyed thousands of gallons of fuel and prompted a hazardous materials emergency.

** A 4.5-magnitude earthquake centered in Pleasant Hill around San Francisco on Monday night caused flaring at the two refineries in Martinez. Portions of the Marathon refinery shut down after the quake and things restarted early Tuesday, Contra Costa County health department spokesman Will Harper said.

** Formosa Plastics Corp. agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit over Clean Water Act violations involving its discharges of billions of plastic pellets into Texas waterways. Under the agreement between Formosa and local environmental groups filed Tuesday, Formosa agreed to eliminate discharges of plastic pellets and clean up existing pollution.