CLIMATE: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says reducing emissions is a “moral imperative” and must remain a top priority as the state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Loveland Reporter-Herald)

ALSO:
• A new study finds climate change is already transforming the Greater Yellowstone area, with major economic and cultural implications as temperatures warm, snowpacks shrink, and fire risks grow. (WyoFile)
• Climate change is among the factors that have California primed for an active wildfire season, but how bad is still anyone’s guess. (Los Angeles Times)

OIL & GAS:
• Colorado’s attorney general is investigating whistleblower claims that state officials unlawfully issued oil and gas permits and falsified pollution data. (Loveland Reporter-Herald)
• A University of California, Santa Barbara study finds that transitioning from oil and gas to achieve the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045 would impact Kern County more than anywhere else. (Bakersfield Californian)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The need for lithium used in electric vehicle batteries continues to drive a “’White Gold Rush” in California’s Imperial Valley. (NPR)
• A Colorado brewery purchases three electric vehicles for its sales team, saving 13.8 metric tons of carbon emissions per year. (Craft Brewing Business)

SOLAR: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee visits a community solar and microgrid project that could advance the sustainability of Snohomish County energy systems in the future. (North County Outlook)

PUBLIC LANDS:
• President Biden’s pause on new oil and gas leases on federal land is not expected to affect states’ income in the near term, an official said. (Reuters)
• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon tells a Senate committee that President Biden’s moratorium on new federal leasing on public lands has adversely impacted the state’s economy and its oil, gas, and coal industries. (K2 Radio)
• Colorado has become the beachhead for a rightwing group’s opposition to President Biden’s proposal to preserve 30% of public land and water by 2030. (Colorado Sun)

HYDROGEN:
• A California alternative fuel company secures a $50 million loan to expand its hydrogen fuel station network. (H2 View)
• Southern California Gas and the state’s Energy Commission are funding hydrogen fuel cell technology testing for small commercial marine vessels. (news release)

MICROGRIDS: The U.S. Department of Energy selects Hawaiian Energy to help identify ideal locations for microgrids on Oahu. (KHON)

COMMENTARY:
• Two California editorial boards say Gov. Gavin Newsom “should jump at the opportunity” to tackle the state’s climate-driven drought crisis provided by President Biden’s infrastructure plan. (Mercury News)
• A climate advocate says Utah Sen. Mitt Romney needs to support a proposed federal bill that would restore regulations reducing oil and gas methane and air pollution. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• A University of Colorado law professor says the state needs to increase its electric vehicle charging infrastructure significantly, and its senators have to lead the way. (Boulder Daily Camera)

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).