CLIMATE: Oregon lawmakers pass a sweeping climate bill requiring utilities to completely cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 — one of the most aggressive clean energy timelines in the nation. (Salem Statesman Journal)

GRID:
• California could face power shortages this summer as drought depletes hydropower and natural gas supplies run low. (Bloomberg)
• More than 5,000 homes lose power in the Portland area as temperatures shatter all-time records. (KOIN)
• California grid operators are asking customers to cut electricity use in the afternoons as another heat wave hits the state. (KPIX)

OIL & GAS:
• The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes assume ownership of an oil and gas field on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. (Cheyenne Post)
• A dispute over how to distribute Alaska’s oil-wealth fund threatens to shut down the state government. (E&E News, subscription)
• Bankrupt oil firms leave California taxpayers on the hook for the millions of dollars it’ll take to clean up oil and gas wells. (Desert Sun)
• Los Angeles officials launch a public health assessment of the neighborhoods surrounding the largest urban oilfield in the nation. (CBSLA)
• As Permian Basin drilling recovers from its COVID-19-related slump, a Houston company expands its wastewater recycling facility. (Carlsbad Current-Argus) 

LITHIUM: A global company opens an 80,000-square-foot lithium battery manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada. (news release)

SOLAR:
• California regulators vote to modify the method for calculating utilities’ avoided costs for distributed generation installations, potentially undercutting the value of rooftop solar. (Solar Power World)
• MGM Resorts flips the switch on its 100-megawatt solar installation that will power 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip. (Las Vegas Review Journal)
• The largest solar carport in New Mexico provides about 40 percent of three government buildings’ electricity. (Albuquerque Journal) 

TRANSPORTATION:
• Portland’s transit operator temporarily shuts down rail lines due to heat-related mechanical issues. (Oregonian)
• New Mexico will develop rules next year requiring dealers to sell low-emissions vehicles. (KRQE)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Albuquerque installs 18 new electric vehicle chargers, nearly doubling the number of stations. (KRQE)
• An Alaska aviation company signs up to purchase hybrid-electric aircraft from a California company. (Anchorage Daily News)

COAL: Shipments of Powder River Basin coal inch upward as heat-related electricity demand and natural gas prices climb. (S&P Global)

COMMENTARY:
• A Colorado mental health advocate says oil and gas development near residential areas can cause chronic stress for those living nearby. (Colorado Sun)
• A New Mexican solar advocate urges regulators require Avangrid to preserve state net metering policies after the firm acquires Public Service Company of New Mexico. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A Wyoming editorial board says the Biden administration should support fossil fuel producing states during this time of transition, rather than “simply proposing edicts.” (Casper Star-Tribune)

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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.