PIPELINES: A federal judge denies a request by Native American tribes to stop construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, but has not yet issued a ruling on whether the project violates treaty rights. (Associated Press)

OVERSIGHT: Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, is reportedly a top contender to lead the EPA if Joe Biden is elected president. (Bloomberg)

NUCLEAR: Some scientists say 12 small nuclear reactors to be built in Idaho will not offer much help in staving off the effects of climate change by the time they are completed. (InsideClimate News)

COAL: A Montana-based conservation group says its ability to understand the full extent of the Energy Department’s National Coal Council influence has been impeded by being denied access to council materials and meetings. (Casper Star-Tribune)

CARBON CAPTURE: A Colorado cement plant is using a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in a bid to be the first such facility in the country to use carbon-capture technology on a commercial scale. (Denver Post)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Leaders of New Mexico economic organizations are considering how renewable energy could stimulate and diversify the economies of some of the state’s most rural areas. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

UTILITIES:
• More PG&E public safety power shutoffs are likely in Northern California over the next two weeks due to the risk of wildfires from extreme weather conditions. (Washington Post)
• Oroville, California’s city council decides to leave PG&E for a community choice aggregation program, but not all councilors agree with the move. (Chico Enterprise-Record)

OIL & GAS:
• A new report indicates New Mexico’s dependence on oil and gas leases, taxes, and royalty payments is undermining its fiscal stability. (Oil Price)
• A Colorado environmental attorney says requiring oil and gas companies to post higher bonds would provide more protection for the state during economic downturns. (Denver Post)

SOLAR:
• A Colorado electric cooperative is expanding its solar generation capacity. (Glenwood Springs Post Independent)
• A Wyoming city signs a contract for 25 KW solar installations at two community facilities. (Oil City News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Experts say Tesla’s domination of the renewable energy credits market is the key to the company’s success. (Freight Waves)

OFFSHORE WIND: The 2020 presidential race could be a deciding factor in the West Coast’s long-standing battle over offshore wind, experts say. (E&E News, subscription)

WASTE TO ENERGY: Missoula County, Montana officials vote to support a proposed landfill gas project that would be the first in the state. (Missoula Current)

COMMENTARY:
• California equity groups want lawmakers to take stronger steps to support healthier, more affordable, fossil fuel-free homes for communities most impacted by pollution and structural racism. (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• The head of a New Mexico advocacy organization says the state’s economy needs to be diversified in order to reduce its reliance on its declining oil and gas industry. (KRWG)
• A Utah climate and energy analyst says we may be underestimating the potential of geothermal power in the West. (Salt Lake Tribune)

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.).