UTILITIES: Colorado electric co-op United Power files notice of its intent to withdraw from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association so it can generate more electricity locally and implement clean energy initiatives. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:
• A California utility deploys automated irrigation systems that shift electricity use to times of low demand to reduce grid stress and save farmers money. (Daily Democrat)
• Dozens of residents of small New Mexico communities face a potential heating crisis as staffing problems hamper propane deliveries. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Xcel Energy officials say natural gas rates will decrease in coming months, even as other Colorado utilities hike rates. (KRDO)

OIL & GAS:
• An aerial survey of the Permian Basin detects major methane plumes from 40% of 900 sites measured and finds some of those plumes resulted from malfunctioning flares. (Reuters)  
• The U.S. Navy continues to develop a plan to flush Hawaii water systems contaminated with petroleum products suspected to have come from a military fueling facility. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
• Boulder, Colorado’s city council adopts new oil and gas regulations, including a 2,000-foot well setback from homes and schools — virtually precluding drilling within city limits — and a pollution tax. (Daily Camera)
• U.S. Congress members from Arizona and California introduce legislation to exclude carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery from federal carbon capture tax credits. (Upstream Online) 

SOLAR: Chevron seeks $30 million in industrial bonds from a New Mexico county to build a 20 MW solar installation. (Carlsbad Current-Argus) 

WIND: An industry-sponsored study finds offshore wind leasing along California’s and Oregon’s coast could generate up to $1.55 billion in federal revenues. (news release)  

TRANSITION:
• A Colorado community turns to outdoor recreation, marijuana dispensaries and mining to keep it afloat after a nearby coal plant’s 2019 closure, but the coal industry’s high-paying jobs and tax revenues remain elusive. (Colorado Sun)
• An outgoing Hopi Tribe leader says a decrease in revenue resulting from the 2019 closure of the Kayenta coal mine could bankrupt the tribe within five years because leaders failed to diversify the economy. (Navajo-Hopi Observer)  

TRANSPORTATION: Tesla plans to build a 32-stall electric vehicle charging station, Nevada’s largest, at a Las Vegas resort. (Teslarati)

HYDROGEN: A California company plans to construct a carbon capture-equipped facility near Bakersfield to convert wood waste into hydrogen fuel. (Biofuels Digest)

RARE EARTHS: A mineral exploration company says it has secured funding for a demonstration-scale plant to process rare earths used in solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles from its proposed Wyoming mine. (Casper Star-Tribune)

GRID: A major storm front brings rain, snow and high winds to much of the West, leaving thousands without power in Idaho, California and Colorado. (Rexburg Standard-Journal, KCRA, Durango Herald)

COMMENTARY:
• An energy columnist says California’s plan to slash rooftop solar payments and incentivize storage instead “makes sense in a state saturated with midday sunshine.” (Bloomberg)
• Colorado advocates call on state regulators to pass rules limiting methane emissions from oil and gas facilities and to increase bonds intended to ensure companies clean up wells. (Post-Independent)

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.