COAL: A lawsuit filed by environmental groups argues that a Colorado coal mine slated for a major expansion cannot operate within federal water guidelines and should be shut down instead. (Durango Herald)

ALSO: An economist says Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s Association proposal to retire a Wyoming coal plant by 2033 is “disconcerting” for the state’s coal industry. (Casper Star-Tribune)

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EFFICIENCY: An annual report ranks Nevada as the most-improved state on energy efficiency. (Nevada Current)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Arizona electric truck firm Nikola wants regulators to approve a plan to purchase cheap electricity from the state’s largest electricity supplier to produce hydrogen for a planned fueling network. (Bloomberg)
• A California school district is now the largest zero-emission school bus fleet in North America with a new delivery of 10 all-electric school buses. (news release)

ELECTRIFICATION: Seattle, Washington’s new energy code update aiming to electrify future commercial and large multifamily buildings doesn’t ban gas-powered stoves or propane-powered outdoor heaters. (SeattleMet)

OIL & GAS: The president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming is confident that the state’s oil and gas industry will bounce back when demand returns. (Wyoming News Now)

POLLUTION: California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District adopts plans to reduce air pollution in two environmental justice communities. (Los Angeles Sentinel)

HYDROGEN: UCLA partners with an energy storage technology and materials company on a research program beginning next month to develop a new technology to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production. (H2 View)

WIND:
• Xcel Energy’s 522 MW New Mexico wind energy farm will be operating by the end of this month, and will be the largest of its kind in the state. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A $650 million 533 MW Wyoming wind farm is now fully operational, and is expected to generate $115 million in property taxes and $90 million in landowner payments during its life. (Wyoming News Exchange)
• A 171 MW Colorado wind farm under development since 2016 has completed its $162.9 million tax equity financing and is now operating. (Renewables Now)

COMMENTARY:
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says the state can lead the U.S. “North to the Future” because of its access to unlimited tidal, hydro, and geothermal power. (Kenai Peninsula Clarion)  
• A Pacific Northwest hydropower advocate says hydropower is a critical salmon recovery tool and removing unproductive dams is vital. (Bend Bulletin)
• An official with a California-based open source initiative focused on the needs of the energy sector in an interview discusses restabilising the state’s grid and securing its clean energy future. (Power Technology)
• An energy consultant says the omission of carbon capture from a California climate report highlights the uncertainty of the technology. (Forbes)
• An environmental justice advocate says California’s push for renewable natural gas disregards the air and water quality impacts of industrial agriculture. (CalMatters)

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.).