OIL & GAS: A new study finds plugging New Mexico’s oil and gas wells could create more than 65,000 jobs and billions of dollars in wages, but says federal funds are needed to make the transition. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

ALSO:
• California regulators miss a second deadline for developing rules to protect communities and workers from oil and gas development impacts. (CalMatters)
• New Mexico officials consider factoring social and environmental responsibility into decisions about how to invest oil and gas tax and royalty revenues. (Associated Press)

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UTILITIES:
• Oregon lawmakers are expected to vote this week on an emissions-cutting bill banning new natural gas plants in the state. (E&E News, subscription)
• NorthWestern Energy customers used 27% more power last year than anticipated, generating a $9.5 million surplus for the Montana utility. (KPVI)
• New Mexico regulators grill Avangrid about withholding information regarding its proposed merger with Public Service Company of New Mexico. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

CLIMATE: Oil industry influence and strategic Republican opposition are stifling climate-related bills in the California Senate. (Capital & Main)

STORAGE:
• California Energy Commission grants are helping startups repurpose electric vehicle batteries to store energy for the state’s grid. (Canary Media)
• A Canadian company plans to install 2.3 GWh of storage in California during the coming year. (Solar Power World)

SOLAR: A proposal to build the first utility-scale solar array in Orange County, California, runs into resistance due to potential impact on property values. (Orange County Register)

BIOFUELS: Federal agents arrest a Turkish businessman in connection with a $1 billion biodiesel tax fraud scheme carried out by Utah businessmen. (Associated Press)

WIND:
• A northern California county planning commission recommends approval of a 71-turbine wind facility. (Redding Record Searchlight)
• Construction on a 145 MW wind facility in northern Colorado will begin in July. (Greeley Tribune)
• Wind power accounts for more than half of the total load on an Xcel Energy regional grid thanks to a newly completed New Mexico wind farm. (news release) 

EFFICIENCY: An Oregon city is expected to require potential home sellers to provide buyers with an energy efficiency score. (Hillsboro News Times)

NUCLEAR: The Department of Energy hires a new contractor to clean up an Idaho nuclear waste site. (E&E News, subscription)

TRANSITION: A national community advocacy group says Wyoming’s dependence on oil, gas, and coal revenues threatens its economic future. (Casper Star-Tribune)

GRID: Southern Utah utility officials say the state is not prepared to prevent large-scale blackouts. (KJZZ)

COMMENTARY:
• Two energy think tank leaders say a New Mexico carbon-capture proposal is untenable and a waste of taxpayer dollars. (Utility Dive)
• A Colorado county commissioner says the Biden administration’s America Jobs Plan would help local and state governments realize their climate goals. (Colorado Politics)
• A California homebuilder urges state lawmakers to resist proposed changes to a clean energy home financing program. (Capitol Weekly)

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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.