SOLAR: A developer begins construction on a 200 MW solar-plus-storage project in northwestern New Mexico to replace capacity lost when the San Juan coal plant closed last year. (Solar Builder)

ALSO:
• Advocates push back on Idaho Power’s plan to restructure its rooftop solar net metering rate schedule, saying it could slow distributed generation adoption and strain the grid. (Idaho Statesman)
• A fossilized mammoth tooth is found on a proposed 400 MW solar installation site in southern Nevada, raising questions about the project’s impacts to fossils in the area. (E&E News, subscription)
• A Washington state initiative looks to map areas of least conflict for solar development. (KUOW)

UTILITIES:
• More than 150 insurance companies sue Xcel Energy over its role in sparking the 2021 Marshall Fire, Colorado’s most destructive blaze on record. (CPR)
• Consumer advocates push back on NV Energy’s proposed $373 million natural disaster plan, saying it forces southern Nevada customers to subsidize those in the north. (Nevada Current)
• Xcel Energy slashes its $312 million rate hike request by 85% in the wake of consumer outrage over rising electricity costs. (Colorado Sun)
• An Alaska city considers next steps after voters reject the proposed sale of its utility for a second time. (KBBI) 

OIL & GAS: Wyoming advocates raise concerns about a planned natural gas pipeline that would cut through core sage grouse habitat. (Jackson Hole News & Guide)

BATTERIES:
• California’s grid operator says it has added more than 5,000 MW of battery storage since 2020, enough to power about 3.8 million homes. (Reuters)
• A California startup looks to replace diesel generators with its mobile battery systems. (Canary Media)  
• A Colorado electric cooperative plans to install a 313 MWh of battery energy storage at multiple sites. (Energy Storage News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A U.S. Army base in Colorado receives its first wave of Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks. (The Gazette)
• Hawaii is poised to become the first state to use federal infrastructure funds to install electric vehicle chargers. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) 

NUCLEAR: Colorado environmental advocates urge officials to reject proposals to replace a retiring coal plant with a nuclear reactor, saying it would pose a health risk and siphon funds away from clean energy projects. (Pueblo Chieftain)

COMMENTARY: A Nevada wildlife advocate urges federal lawmakers to end speculative oil and gas leasing to keep it from impeding other public land activities and uses. (Reno Gazette Journal, subscription)

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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.