WIND: A Colorado ranching family, with backing from a Biden administration agency, are standing in the way of plans to build the country’s largest wind farm more than a decade after the project was first proposed. (Los Angeles Times)

HYDROPOWER: For the first time since it was built in 1967, the water level in California’s Oroville Dam drops so low that it can’t produce power amid historic drought. (Mercury News)

CLIMATE:
• A series of reports explores the climate consequences Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada face as they set decarbonization goals, including how air pollution and rising temperatures will affect different communities. (Canary Media)
• California, New York and Texas will receive the largest shares — a total of $1.5 billion — of federal funding for climate resiliency projects. (E&E News)
• U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah voices his support for the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill that he says will bring “historic investment” to the state. (KSL.com)

OIL & GAS:
• The federal government’s pause on oil and gas leases is unlikely to affect Colorado or Wyoming for decades, as companies have enough leases to keep drilling for the next 35 and 67 years, respectively, an analysis finds. (Colorado Newsline, Cheyanne Post)
• Commissioners in Colorado’s Larimer County approve what could be the strictest oil and gas regulations in the state, mandating facilities are at least 2,000 feet from many kinds of buildings. (Coloradoan)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: U.S. Department of Energy data shows where Sacramento lacks electric vehicle charging stations as the city aims to install at least 3,000 more in the next five years. (Sacramento Bee)

GRID: Like much of the West, Idaho is facing grid strain and high wholesale power market prices, but an expert says the state’s integrated grid is likely to stave off any major outages. (Teton Valley News)

BIOFUELS: Colorado State University receives a $3.2 million federal grant to partner with Los Alamos National Laboratory and Arizona State University to research how to grow algae more quickly for biofuel. (9 News)

SOLAR: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak visits a solar rooftop array in progress at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. (KTNV)

COMMENTARY:
• With much of the West facing wildfires and massive drought, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown argues it’s “past time to act on climate change.” (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Wildfires sparked by PG&E lines show the utility can’t meet safety standards and that California must consider a takeover, an editorial board argues. (Mercury News and East Bay Times)
• California regulators are ignoring the potential for carbon capture and storage to help solve the state’s grid challenges, a columnist writes. (Forbes)
• Climate activists push Montana’s Congressional delegation to ensure carbon pricing is included in a federal infrastructure package. (Montana Standard)
• New Mexico should follow California’s lead and implement stricter vehicle emissions standards, an editorial board argues. (Albuquerque Journal)

Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.