SOLAR: Citing public opposition and potential harm to views and wildlife, a Montana zoning board rejects a proposed 300-MW, 1,600-acre solar project that would have powered a cryptocurrency mining operation. (Montana Standard)

ALSO:
• A U.S. Department of Energy-developed automated tool which streamlines permitting for rooftop solar systems launches in cities in Arizona and California. (KTVU)
• All 128 homes in a planned northern California development will be equipped with rooftop solar-plus-storage systems, developers say. (news release)

STORAGE:
• Federal regulators issue a preliminary permit for a 2,650 MW pumped hydro storage project proposed for eastern Washington. (Spokesman-Review)
• Energy storage facilities injected 1 GW of power — an all-time high — into the California grid during the most recent heatwave, helping to prevent catastrophic generation shortfalls. (PV Magazine)
• Developers prepare to begin the permitting process for a 100 MW battery storage facility proposed for a former golf course outside of Petaluma, California. (Argus-Courier)

HYDROPOWER:
• The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation begins releasing water from Upper Colorado River Basin reservoirs in order to preserve the hydropower generating capacity of Glen Canyon Dam. (KUNC)
• Drought is likely to shut down a major California hydroelectricity generator for the first time ever this summer. (E&E News, subscription)

GRID:
• Soaring demand for natural gas for power generation is expected to continue in the Western U.S. as the National Weather Service forecasts above-average August temperatures. (S&P Global)
• The wildfire-caused shutdown of an Oregon-to-California transmission line bolsters calls for a vastly expanded and more integrated power grid. (E&E News, subscription)

UTILITIES: An Eastern California utility proposes a 41% rate increase to fund wildfire-hazard reduction measures and fire insurance. (Tahoe Daily Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: Arizona regulators approve the state’s largest utility’s efficiency plan, which includes incentives for installing efficient appliances and smart meters and a program to bring energy-saving services to the Navajo and Hopi nations. (news release)

NUCLEAR:
• The Havasupai Tribe and environmental groups step up opposition to a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon as Arizona regulators prepare to permit it to reopen. (Arizona Republic)
• Officials in Pueblo County, Colorado are exploring nuclear power to replace a coal plant set to retire by 2040. (Pueblo Chieftain)

OIL & GAS:
• California regulators allow a natural gas plant which exploded in May to reopen, despite opposition from local officials. (KPIX)
• Oil and gas industry lawyers say Biden administration officials could be held in contempt of court if they don’t comply with a judge’s order to resume oil and gas lease sales. (Bloomberg)

CLIMATE: California wildlife officials say an “extreme set of cascading climate events” will likely kill all of the young salmon in the Sacramento River this year. (E&E News, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Second-quarter California registrations of Tesla automobiles surged by 85% over last year. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY: A California attorney says the state must phase out gas-burning cars by 2030 in order to avert a climate catastrophe. (CalMatters)

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Jonathan P. Thompson

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.