SOLAR: The developers of a 9,000-acre solar power installation proposed for southern Nevada have withdrawn their application amid opposition from environmentalists, nearby residents and people concerned about the impact to an iconic work of land art. (KLAS)

GRID:
• Tesla launches a test of a virtual power plant by allowing California customers to feed their Powerwall batteries’ excess electricity back to the grid. (Markets Insider)
• Utility officials blame the ongoing Dixie Fire for rolling blackouts affecting more than 10,000 northern California residents. (KOLO)
• A downed power line sparks a major brush fire in eastern Idaho. (East Idaho News)

UTILITIES: Nearly 50,000 New Mexico households with past due bills could lose power when a shutoff moratorium ends in mid-August. (Associated Press)

CLIMATE: The massive Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon burns through 90,000 acres of forest set aside to offset carbon emissions. (CNN)

COAL:
• A Colorado power plant will close its last coal-burning unit and convert it to burn natural gas. (Gazette)
• A falling piece of equipment killed a worker at the Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming on Wednesday. (Associated Press)
• A company looking to repurpose a retiring New Mexico coal plant to produce hydrogen considers manufacturing cement there as well. (NM Political Report)

HYDROPOWER: The Bonneville Power Administration says Lower Snake River dams that are being considered for removal helped avert power outages during the Northwest heat wave. (KNDO)

PUBLIC LANDS: The Biden administration’s controversial nominee to head the Bureau of Land Management advances to a full Senate vote. (Washington Post)

OIL & GAS:
• California regulators vote to require the state’s largest oil refineries, both in the Bay Area, to significantly reduce their air pollutant emissions. (KQED)
• During a Colorado visit this week, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said a federal review of the oil and gas leasing program would be made public “very, very soon.” (E&E News, subscription)
• The Biden administration launches an effort to clean up defunct offshore oil infrastructure along the California coast. (Sierra Sun Times)

WIND: A sustainable investment firm begins operation of a California wind farm, the first in its portfolio. (renews.biz)

BIOFUELS: A project that converts landfill waste into methane goes online in Santa Barbara County, California. (Recycling Today)

COMMENTARY:
• Two New Mexico equity advocates say a state clean car standard would empower low-income residents and aid in the fight against climate change. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A Colorado children’s advocate urges the Biden administration to fix glaring injustices in the federal oil and gas leasing program. (Colorado Newsline)

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Jonathan P. Thompson

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.