GRID: Colorado regulators approve Xcel Energy’s proposed  $1.7 billion transmission network that would carry planned wind facilities’ power to population centers. (Colorado Public Radio)

LITHIUM:
• Nevada regulators issue final environmental permits to the developers of the Thacker Pass lithium mine, but permits from other agencies and an environmentalist lawsuit are still pending. (Reno Gazette Journal)
• California’s Salton Sea residents say they are concerned about proposed lithium extraction projects’ potential effects on public health and the environment. (KESQ)

WIND:
• The federal Bureau of Land Management rejects the Walker Ridge wind project proposed adjacent to a northern California national monument, citing potential resource conflicts. (Lake County News)
• Hawaii’s Supreme Court rejects environmentalists’ challenge of the state’s 2018 approval of a habitat conservation plan for a wind facility proposed off Oahu’s North Shore. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)  
• Oregon commercial fishing advocates call on the Biden administration to rigorously analyze proposed wind development off the state’s coast before leasing any parcels. (National Fisherman)

UTILITIES:
• Hawaii regulators and advocates say the state’s oversized reliance on oil generated electricity makes it vulnerable to geopolitical-triggered petroleum price swings. (Canary Media)
• California fire officials say Pacific Gas & Electric jeopardized public safety by using a “heli-saw” in a public park to clear tree limbs near power lines. (NBC Bay Area)

STORAGE: An Alaska utility installs 37 Tesla Megapack batteries in the remote Kenai Peninsula to provide backup power and reduce reliance on gas-powered turbines. (CleanTechnica)

OIL & GAS:
• California oil and gas producers say they are not stepping up drilling to capitalize on increasing commodity prices because of a permitting slowdown and industry cost-cutting. (Bakersfield Californian)
• New tests detect high levels of contaminants in Hawaii water believed to be tainted by a leaky U.S. Navy fuel facility, and drinking water advisories remain in place for most affected neighborhoods. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
• New Mexico environmental advocates question Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s commitment to clamp down on the oil and gas industry because it delivers so much revenue to state coffers. (Howard Center for Investigative Journalism) 

NUCLEAR: Wyoming lawmakers advance a bill repealing some state regulations on nuclear waste storage to expedite development of a Bill Gates-backed advanced nuclear reactor. (WyoFile) 

CLIMATE:
• California researchers find the state’s greenhouse gas emissions cap and trade program can inadvertently increase pollution in communities of color. (Inside Climate News)
• Boulder, Colorado, plans to shift a larger share of its climate tax’s cost to businesses and other large emitters. (Colorado Daily) 

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.