OIL & GAS: Some California lawmakers say petroleum industry lobbying and donations to moderate Democrats have stifled legislation aimed at restricting drilling and holding oil and gas companies accountable for health impacts. (Los Angeles Times)

ALSO:

CLEAN ENERGY: Washington state advocates say a growing number of data centers drawn by state incentives are increasing power demand, overwhelming utilities’ grids and threatening to derail clean energy goals. (ProPublica)

SOLAR: Developers break ground on an 80 MW solar installation where some 600 sheep will graze among the panels in western Colorado. (Delta County Independent)

UTILITIES: 

TRANSMISSION: Arizona regulators approve a proposed transmission line through midtown Tucson amid residents’ opposition. (Arizona Daily Star)

GEOTHERMAL: A developer launches a “super-hot rock” enhanced geothermal system demonstration project at a volcano in central Oregon. (KTVZ)

MINING: A Wyoming company looks to raise $60 million in a public stock offering to ramp up its uranium mining efforts in Western states. (Cowboy State Daily)

WIND: Some Wyoming landowners continue to fight a proposed 504 MW wind facility in the southeastern part of the state, saying it will blight views and harm property values. (Cowboy State Daily)

BATTERIES: A big rig carrying lithium-ion batteries overturns and catches fire, shutting down a major interstate linking southern California and Nevada for 48 hours. (Cowboy State Daily)

CLIMATE: A study finds the Great Salt Lake in Utah emits significant quantities of greenhouse gasses as climate change and human consumption draw down water levels. (NPR)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Colorado city becomes the nation’s first to adopt a fully electric fleet of waste management vehicles. (KDVR)

PUBLIC LANDS: Congress members from Western states push legislation that would block the Biden administration’s rule that aims to put conservation on par with drilling and mining on federal lands. (Inside Climate News)

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Jonathan hails from southwestern Colorado and has been writing about the land, cultures, and communities of the Western United States for more than two decades. He compiles the Western Energy News digest. He is the author of three books, a contributing editor at High Country News, and the editor of the Land Desk, an e-newsletter that provides coverage and context on issues critical to the West.