UTILITIES: New Mexico civic and environmental justice groups accuse the state’s attorney general of violating ethics rules as he negotiated the proposed merger between Public Service Company of New Mexico and Avangrid. (Searchlight New Mexico)

ALSO:
• Residents of an Oregon town torched by a wildfire last year sue Pacific Power, alleging the company’s equipment sparked the blaze. (OPB)
• The head of Oregon’s largest electricity utility says the company is prepared to cut power this summer to reduce the risk of sparking wildfires. (Bloomberg)

CLIMATE:
• The Oregon wildfire threatening power lines into California grows to 300,000 acres. (OPB)
• Newly elected San Diego leaders vow to reinvigorate a regional effort to fight climate change. (San Diego Union-Tribune) 

SOLAR:
• Hawaii regulators consider two competing proposals for valuing rooftop solar, and their decision could have implications for the rest of the nation. (E&E News)
• A California pilot sets a record for distance flown in a solar-powered electric airplane. (KGPE)

OIL & GAS: Colorado regulators begin aerial surveys of oil and gas sites to monitor methane emissions. (9 News)

STORAGE: California lawmakers allocate $18 million to fund construction of a 500 MW pumped hydro storage project proposed for near San Diego. (Times of San Diego)

HYDROPOWER:
• California regulators approve the ownership transfer of four Klamath River hydroelectric dams to the nonprofit looking to breach them. (Wild Rivers Outpost)
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray launch an effort to replace hydropower capacity from four Snake River dams in the event that they are breached to protect salmon. (Idaho Statesman)
• Conservation groups seek larger water spills —which would diminish hydropower generation —from Northwest hydroelectric dams to help salmon survive high temperatures. (news release)

GRID: California grid operators urge residents to dress lightly and turn up their air-conditioning thermostat to help avoid power outages. (RTO Insider, subscription)

MICROGRIDS: California regulators suspend microgrid capacity reservation charges to encourage the commercial development of the technology. (Microgrid Knowledge)

NUCLEAR: Developers of a cluster of small modular reactors proposed for a site near Idaho National Laboratories downsize the planned facility from 600 MW to 462 MW of capacity. (Post Register)

PUBLIC LANDS: Indigenous groups call for the restoration and expansion of Bears Ears National Monument, which the Trump administration shrunk to make way for energy development. (Salt Lake Tribune)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Arizona regulators approve a utility’s plan to reduce electric vehicle charging rates for commercial customers during times of low electricity demand. (Arizona Daily Star)

COMMENTARY:
• The governor of a New Mexico Pueblo urges state leaders to strengthen draft rules for methane emissions from oil and gas operations. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A Colorado architect says federal infrastructure bills must include climate change provisions. (Estes Park Trail-Gazette)

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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.