ELECTRIFICATION: A northern California county votes to ban natural gas hookups in all new residential and commercial construction beginning July 1. (KPIX)

COAL: A subsidiary of Arch Coal settles an environmental advocates’ lawsuit by agreeing to flare mine gases to reduce methane and volatile organic compound emissions. (E&E News, subscription)

OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico’s new requirements for reporting venting and flaring reveal the state’s oil and gas facilities have been emitting far more methane and other greenhouse gases than previously reported. (Capital & Main)
• The U.S. Interior Department says it will collaborate with other federal agencies and a multi-state commission on a $4.7 billion abandoned well plugging program meant to reduce methane emissions and create jobs. (E&E News)
• Federal officials predict oil and gas production from the Permian Basin will surge to record levels in February. (Reuters) 
• A district court rules in favor of environmentalists by ordering Colorado regulators to expedite a decision on a Denver-area refinery’s emission permit. (Colorado Sun)
• New Mexico oil and gas regulators seek state funding to bolster enforcement efforts and fill staff vacancies. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Colorado regulators seek public input on proposed rules requiring oil and gas operators to post financial security for well reclamation and cleanup. (Post-Independent) 

CLIMATE: ExxonMobil attempts to use a Texas law to defend itself against California cities’ lawsuits accusing the company of downplaying and denying the climate crisis. (The Guardian)

STORAGE: An energy developer submits a preliminary application to construct a 720 MW pumped hydropower storage facility in southern Idaho that would be paired with solar and wind installations. (Hydro Review) 

HYDROGEN:
• New Mexico partners with the state’s national labs to research and develop zero-carbon hydrogen. (Albuquerque Journal)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget includes $100 million to advance green hydrogen use and production. (Hydrogen Fuel News)

UTILITIES:
• Neighbors of NorthwesternEnergy’s proposed natural gas plant and associated pipeline in Laurel, Montana, say they are frustrated with the utility’s lack of transparency. (KTVQ)  
• New Mexico’s elected utility regulators will be replaced by a governor-appointed commission at the end of this year, giving Public Service Company of New Mexico another avenue for appealing rejected proposals. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

NUCLEAR: A powerful magnetic chamber instrumental in the quest to develop nuclear fusion restarts operations at a San Diego research facility after being down for maintenance for six months. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

COMMENTARY: A Colorado environmental advocate calls on Tri-State Generation and Transmission to speed its transition to renewable energy and provide economic assistance to coal-affected communities. (Durango Herald)

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.