UTILITIES: Colorado officials accuse Xcel Energy of obstructing their probe of the 2021 Marshall Fire that investigators blamed on the utility’s equipment. (Denver 7)

ALSO:
• Xcel Energy tells shareholders it may not have enough insurance to pay damages stemming from Marshall Fire-related lawsuits. (CPR)   
• California advocates urge Pacific Gas & Electric to install covered conductors and insulate power lines to further mitigate wildfire risk. (Utility Dive) 

TRANSPORTATION: Federal regulators greenlight the first 49-mile segment of a proposed Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line. (Press-Enterprise)

OIL & GAS:
• A Colorado county urges the federal Bureau of Land Management to conduct a full review of a proposed oil-train terminal expansion in Utah, saying it could increase petroleum-hauling rail traffic through the region. (Colorado Newsline)
• A southern California county seeks $1.8 million from Chevron for the 2022 cleanup of an abandoned pipeline oil spill. (Los Angeles Times)
• Biden administration officials say New Mexico’s ozone pollution rules for oil and gas operations could serve as a model for federal regulations. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)  
• New Mexico economists predict the state’s oil and gas production could begin declining as soon as 2028. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Alaska appeals a March federal court ruling allowing ConocoPhillips to keep drilling data secret. (Alaska Beacon)

BATTERIES: Southern California fire officials report an increase in blazes sparked by lithium-ion battery malfunctions. (KRDO)

SOLAR:
• An Arizona solar panel manufacturer plans to leverage federal infrastructure bill tax credits to establish its fifth U.S. factory in an undisclosed location. (Utility Dive)
• Arizona prosecutors sue a residential solar retailer and installer for allegedly misleading and pressuring potential customers. (KTAR)

TRANSITION: Northwest New Mexico officials say the region’s transition from a fossil fuel-reliant economy is progressing, but much work remains. (Farmington Daily Times)

COAL: Peabody says a June tornado caused $5 million worth of damage and hampered coal shipments at one of its Powder River Basin mines. (County 17)

GRID: A powerful monsoon storm snaps utility lines in southern Arizona, leaving more than 50,000 customers without power during a record heat wave. (Arizona Daily Star)

NUCLEAR: The U.S. Senate passes an amendment aimed at increasing domestic advanced nuclear reactor fuel production and jumpstarting uranium mining in Utah and Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily) 

CLIMATE: California researchers find climate change-exacerbated rising temperatures led to the loss of 10 trillion gallons of water in the Colorado River Basin over two decades, depleting reservoirs and diminishing hydropower capacity. (Los Angeles Times)  

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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.