LITHIUM: The Biden administration says it has completed a court-ordered review and clarification of federal mining law that should allow construction to continue on the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES:
• Tucson, Arizona, voters reject a new utility franchise agreement and fee to fund climate action programs and transmission line undergrounding. (Arizona Daily Star)  
• A second southern California city considers leaving a county power authority following allegations of a lack of transparency and questionable oversight. (Voice of OC)
• Analysts say growing electricity demand combined with drought-diminished hydropower supplies are pushing utility rates upward. (Idaho Capital Sun)

ELECTRIFICATION: Palo Alto, California, allows a celebrity chef to bypass the city’s electrification codes and use natural gas in his new restaurant after developers threatened to sue. (Palo Alto Weekly)

OIL & GAS:
• A U.S. appeals court rejects environmentalists’ challenge of the proposed Alaska LNG pipeline project, saying federal regulators’ review adhered to environmental laws. (Reuters)
• A company withdraws its application for its proposed 32-well oil and gas development in northern Colorado following widespread opposition from residents and county officials. (Capital & Main)
• A peer-reviewed study finds air pollution from oil and gas development in Wyoming is harming residents’ health. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A federal appeals court panel hears arguments in conservationists’ lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s approval of a proposed 3,500-well oil and gas development in Wyoming. (news release)

SOLAR:
• A California mine plans to install a 15 MW solar and 7.5 MWh battery storage system to cover 50% of its power demand. (news release)
• A New Mexico electric cooperative plans to partner with Taos Pueblo on a 5 MW solar installation with 10 MWh of battery storage. (Big Pivots)
• Construction is completed on a 140 MW solar installation with 80 MWh of battery storage in southern California. (PV Magazine)
• The operator of a recently shuttered coal power plant in Hawaii considers installing solar-plus-battery storage at the site after the facility is demolished. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, subscription)

WIND: The University of California contracts to purchase 85 MW of power from the proposed SunZia wind project in New Mexico. (news release)

CLEAN ENERGY: Arizona State University will receive up to $70 million in federal funds to establish an institute devoted to reducing industrial process heating’s greenhouse gas emissions. (Daily Independent)

HYDROPOWER: Commercial fishing and conservation groups sue Pacific Gas & Electric for allegedly harming fish with its Potter Valley hydropower dam in northern California. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A northern California county applies for federal funds to install electric vehicle charging stations in low-income and underserved areas. (Marin Independent Journal)
• Central Oregon Community College receives nearly $3 million in federal funding for electric vehicle technician workforce training. (KTVZ)

CLIMATE: Alaska lawmakers advance a bill that would offer carbon offset credits for preserving forests. (Anchorage Daily News)

COMMENTARY: A California editorial board urges state lawmakers to encourage solar installations in highway rights of way, on rooftops and over parking lots, agricultural fields and canals. (Los Angeles Times)

More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West

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.