HYDROPOWER: A federal impact statement released Friday eliminates the possibility that four massive dams on the Snake River will be removed to preserve endangered salmon. (Associated Press)

ALSO: California Gov. Gavin Newsom asks Warren Buffet to support the demolition of four Klamath River hydroelectric dams to save salmon populations. (Associated Press)

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PUBLIC LANDS: The writings of BLM nominee William Perry Pendley reveal a long history of “overt racism” toward Indigenous people. (The Intercept)

OIL & GAS:
• A judge dismisses a Colorado county’s challenge of new state air-quality rules aimed at reducing oil and gas emissions. (Denver Post)
• A Denver-based conservation group says the BLM’s easing of Obama-era oil and gas drilling regulations “gives the oil and gas industry everything they wanted.” (Associated Press)

NATURAL GAS: Southern California Gas files a complaint challenging a state law requiring regulators to analyze how to maximize the benefits of natural gas every four years, saying the agency’s report earlier this year does the opposite and should be revised. (Reuters)

ELECTRIFICATION: Environmental advocates tell California regulators Southern California Gas has a long history of working to undermine electrification measures in the state. (Utility Dive)

RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• California Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier calls for an accelerated shift to renewable and sustainable energy in the wake of Marathon Petroleum plans to “indefinitely idle” its Bay area refinery. (SF Gate)
• A New Mexico State University initiative aims to develop a “roadmap” communities statewide can pursue to take advantage of renewable energy technology and entrepreneurial initiatives. (Albuquerque Journal)

UTILITIES: Arizona’s supreme court rules the state regulators have the legal right to take control of utilities posing a risk to public health and safety. (Arizona Capitol Times)

NUCLEAR: Emails and security alerts recently released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reveal drones were flown over Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in September 2019. (Arizona Republic)

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FOSSIL FUELS: A climate reporter explores the similarities between Western economic reliance on fossil fuels and Saudi Arabia’s. (Quartz)

COMMENTARY:
• Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso says his legislation to help revive nuclear power would bolster Wyoming’s uranium production and protect national interests. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A California editorial board says the San Joaquin Valley needs “a bit of a push” to convert inefficient fields with no groundwater into lucrative solar energy production. (Los Angeles Times)

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.).