GRID: The Nevada legislature on Monday passed a sweeping energy bill that puts $100 million toward building electric vehicle charging stations, implements tax credits for energy storage, and encourages planning for a regional transmission grid. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

CARBON CAPTURE:
• A proposal to retrofit an aging New Mexico coal plant with carbon capture technology faces insurmountable obstacles, according to a new report from an energy think tank. (NM Political Report)
• The U.S. Department of Energy awards $1.2 million to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to study the effects of faults on subsurface carbon dioxide storage reservoirs. (E&E News, subscription)

BIOMASS: A British company is planning to test biomass-based pellets as a coal substitute at a Utah power plant. (Power Magazine)

EFFICIENCY: Indoor, commercial-scale marijuana cultivation sucks up a lot of energy, but the size of its carbon footprint depends largely on grow facilities’ locations, according to a recent Colorado study. (High Country News)

OIL & GAS:
• A Colorado company is monitoring pollution to label some natural gas as “responsibly sourced,” though some climate activists say the effort lacks transparency. (Colorado Public Radio)
• The Biden administration proposes a rule authorizing oil companies to harass polar bears and Pacific walruses while conducting exploration and drilling activities in the Beaufort Sea off of Alaska. (Federal Register)
• Industry groups pressure Utah lawmakers to oppose the Biden administration’s leasing pause, despite a state report saying the pause would have minimal economic impact. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Western natural gas producers are looking to a proposed export terminal in Mexico to help them out of an ongoing slump now that an Oregon proposal appears to be dead. (Natural Gas Intelligence)
• Colorado oilfield workers push back on stereotypes that portray them as unconcerned about the environment. (Greeley Tribune)

POLLUTION: Bay Area environmentalists and racial justice advocates are battling labor unions and the oil industry over a proposed rule that would cut particulate emissions from refineries. (San Francisco Chronicle)

OVERSIGHT: Montana lawmakers will meet next week to review financial practices of the state’s Public Service Commission after an audit found “significant deficiency in internal controls” and questionable travel expenses. (Missoula Current)

UTILITIES:
• As Public Service Company of New Mexico seeks to merge with Avangrid, critics say the utility is overly focused on shareholder interests and not looking closely at how the move would impact customers. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Tucson Electric Power in Arizona and Dixie Power in southwest Utah are asking customers to dial back their electricity use during times of high power demand to avoid outages this summer. (Arizona Daily Star, Salt Lake Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION: Colorado’s House advances a major transportation overhaul, rejecting Republican amendments to put user fees to a vote and cut electric vehicle spending. (Colorado Politics)

WIND: The Honolulu City Council this week will consider three bills that would increase the required distance between homes and new wind turbines. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board urges the Colorado legislature to pass a proposed transportation bill that would increase the gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure fixes. (Denver Post)
• A Hawaii energy developer says the state’s Public Utilities Commission is “more important than ever.” (Honolulu Civil Beat)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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.