SOLAR: The U.S. Interior Department plans to expand solar development on public lands in the West, including three proposed projects in Arizona totaling about 1 GW. (PV-Tech)

ALSO: A rural Colorado county looks to build utility-scale solar facilities on drought-plagued agricultural land, but a lack of transmission is slowing progress. (Alamosa Citizen)

WIND: Forty-three companies compete for five federal offshore wind leases along northern California’s coast today. (Forbes)

UTILITIES:
• California regulators require state permits for utilities to build natural gas projects costing more than $75 million or that are expected to worsen air pollution in nearby communities. (Utility Dive)  
• Public Service Company of New Mexico proposes increasing rates to recoup $2.6 billion needed to modernize its grid and transition away from fossil fuels. (Associated Press)  

ELECTRIFICATION: A California municipal utility launches a pilot program aimed at electrifying low-income natural gas-reliant households. (CapRadio)

COAL: Federal occupational regulators fine a Utah contractor nearly $305,000 for violations relating to two workers’ deaths in June at a Colorado coal power plant. (McClatchy News)

OIL & GAS: Some residents of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula push back on Hilcorp’s efforts to expand its natural gas drilling projects there. (KDLL)

LITHIUM: Companies’ heightened interest in developing lithium mines in Nevada and other Western states has yet to spark economic or employment booms in nearby communities. (NPR)

CLIMATE: Washington state Republican lawmakers unveil a hydropower- and fossil fuel-heavy energy plan that would rely on electric vehicle adoption and carbon capture to reduce emissions. (Yakima Herald-Republic)  

POLLUTION: Southern California regulators approve an ambitious smog reduction plan, but say they cannot meet national air quality standards without federal action. (Los Angeles Times) 

TRANSPORTATION:
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes fining oil companies for exceeding a to-be-determined cap on profits and returning revenues to state residents. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Washington state regulators release final standards requiring a 20% reduction in transportation fuels’ carbon intensity by 2034. (Bellingham Herald)  

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Colorado energy officials seek applications for $910,000 in grants to fund organizations’ plans to provide electric bikes to income-qualified workers. (CPR)
• California awards an electric motorcycle company $20 million to fund battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities in the state. (Electrek)  
• AAA deploys mobile electric vehicle charging trucks in 14 cities nationwide, including Bend and Portland, Oregon. (KTVZ)

POLITICS: U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican who opposes dismantling hydropower dams, is expected to become the House Energy and Commerce chair early next year. (E&E News) 

COMMENTARY: A southern California editorial board urges regulators to hold firm on a plan to achieve a zero-emissions economy and cleaner air by ditching fossil fuels. (Los Angeles Times)

More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West
View this campaign in your browser.

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.