SOLAR: The Biden administration finalizes its Western solar plan aimed at expediting development on 31 million acres of federal land in 11 states. (Reuters)

ALSO: A Utah county postpones a deal to install a solar array at a local airport to gather more information, but says it plans to move forward with the project later. (Moab Times-Independent)

PUBLIC LANDS: Federal courts prepare to consider several lawsuits seeking to diminish a president’s power to ban future mining and oil and gas drilling on some federal lands via national monument designation. (Bloomberg Law)

EFFICIENCY: The U.S. Energy Department awards Western states and cities $115.2 million to develop, implement and upgrade building performance standards and energy codes for commercial and multi-family structures. (news release, RTO Insider, subscription)

CLIMATE: Colorado awards local governments $1.9 million to support climate action plans and efficiency and sustainable energy programs. (news release) 

STORAGE: 

  • A Washington state university launches a study on pumped hydropower energy storage’s feasibility, impacts and siting. (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
  • California regulators approve a centralized strategy for procuring long-duration energy storage capacity in an effort to encourage competition. (RTO Insider, subscription)

GRID: 

OIL & GAS: 

  • California advocates call on lawmakers to pass “polluter pays” bills aimed at holding the oil and gas industry financially accountable for environmental and health impacts. (Inside Climate News)
  • Utah advocates file a lawsuit challenging the federal Bureau of Land Management’s decision to reaffirm Trump-era oil and gas leases in a remote part of the state. (Utah News Dispatch)
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatens to call a special legislative session to pressure Democratic lawmakers to pass a bill that would require petroleum refineries to maintain reserves in an effort to stabilize fuel prices. (Los Angeles Times)

POLLUTION: Alaska advocates call on federal regulators to ban cruise ship exhaust scrubbers, saying the air-pollution mitigation systems contaminate ocean water. (KTOO)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

  • California officials say 150,000 electric vehicle chargers have been installed across the state, including nearly 15,000 fast ones. (KBAK)
  • Oakland, California’s school district is the first major district in the U.S. to fully adopt electric school buses, which can send power back to the grid during high demand. (Grist)

CLEAN ENERGY: The National Science Foundation awards a Hawaii university $4.2 million for clean energy research and education. (Kauai Now)

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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.