SOLAR: A new report finds the value of solar power in California decreases as more is added to the grid, undermining the economic case for new solar and threatening decarbonization efforts. (MIT Technology Review) 

CLIMATE:
• A University of California, San Diego, study finds low-income neighborhoods with high proportions of people of color across the U.S. experience more urban heat than upper-income, predominantly white areas. (Times of San Diego)
• Most Portland-area victims of the recent heatwave died alone in their homes without access to air conditioning, according to a new report. (Portland Mercury)
• California fires have burned three times more acreage this year than during the same period last year, and are burning hotter and faster than ever before. (CBS13, Los Angeles Times)
• Researchers at a California university say wildfire-related vegetation loss could sap 16% of the state’s carbon storage capacity. (Los Angeles Times)

GRID: The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, which forced the shutdown of a transmission line that ferries Northwest hydropower into California, grows to 200,000 acres. (KTVZ)

HYDROPOWER: Declining water levels have decreased Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower output by 20% since 2000, with further reductions expected in coming months. (KUNC)

WIND:
• A Wyoming county’s commissioners approve a 126-turbine wind power project, advancing the proposal to the state for consideration. (Laramie Boomerang)
• A California bill establishing a framework for development of offshore wind power clears a major hurdle in the state senate. (Courthouse News Service)

EFFICIENCY: The U.S. Department of Energy awards $12 million to Indigenous communities around the Western U.S. for energy efficiency, resiliency and security projects. (news release)

STORAGE: Safety concerns and materials sourcing problems have delayed the deployment of large scale battery systems in California, experts say. (Marketplace) 

COAL: The developers of a proposed carbon capture facility at a New Mexico coal plant ask state lawmakers to clarify rules regarding ownership of the geological pore spaces where carbon would be sequestered. (NM Political Report)

UTILITIES: Idaho Falls’ city-run utility approves an agreement to buy Rocky Mountain Power infrastructure and customers. (Post-Register)

NUCLEAR:
• An Australian company, lured by Trump-era policies, considers opening uranium mines in southeastern Utah. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes introduces a bill requiring California and the federal government to issue permits allowing Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to operate beyond its scheduled 2025 closure. (American Independent)
• Los Alamos County, New Mexico, will vote next week on whether to continue its participation in a small modular reactor project proposed for Idaho. (Los Alamos Reporter)

OIL & GAS:
• Undocumented migrant oilfield workers in southeastern New Mexico say they’re paid less than their non-immigrant counterparts and are otherwise treated unfairly. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Officials of a California city where a natural gas power plant exploded earlier this year oppose the plant’s reopening. (SFGate)

COMMENTARY: A New Mexico rancher argues for stronger methane emission rules for oil and gas operations in order to ease the “fossil fuel nightmare” he and his family are living through. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

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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.