ELECTRIFICATION: A federal appeals court overturns Berkeley, California’s ban on natural gas hookups in new construction, saying the city bypassed federal regulations when passing the 2020 ordinance. (Associated Press)

ALSO: San Francisco Bay Area officials see increased demand for heat pumps as local governments pass pro-electrification ordinances and federal, state and local tax credits are enacted. (North Bay Business Journal)

GEOTHERMAL: A Nevada county rescinds a geothermal energy company’s exploratory drilling permit in the Black Rock Desert after Burning Man and conservation groups sue to block the project. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• The U.S. Energy Department offers $15 million to tribal colleges and universities for campus clean energy systems and training Indigenous students to work in the industry. (Associated Press)
• Vice President Kamala Harris encourages investment in clean energy entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds during a visit to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. (The Sun)

SOLAR:
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee approves two proposed 80 MW solar facilities near Yakima after some local residents raise concerns about environmental impacts. (Yakima Herald)
• Denver, Colorado, plans to use a rooftop solar permitting app to cut the approval process by up to 30 days, while advocates hope to expand the software to the rest of the state. (Colorado Sun)
• A northern California community choice aggregator agrees to purchase power from two solar projects to include in its solar, storage and geothermal subscription service. (news release)

CRYPTOCURRENCY: A Washington city considers banning new cryptocurrency mining operations, saying they use too much space and energy without delivering economic benefits. (Daily News)

OIL & GAS:
• Environmental groups say ExxonMobil’s plan to conduct no new exploration in the Alaska Arctic is a sign industry is losing interest in the region and future lease sales will flop. (Alaska Public Media)
• A peer-reviewed study finds the nation’s oil and gas facilities emit 70% more methane than the U.S. EPA’s estimates. (CNN)
• Permian Basin oil and gas producers look to planned Mexico LNG export terminals as an outlet for burgeoning natural gas supplies. (Natural Gas Intelligence)
• Arizona lawmakers consider increasing penalties for using electronic manipulation devices to steal fuel from gasoline pumps. (Arizona Daily Star) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Oregon electric vehicle manufacturer Arcimoto says it is nearly out of money and faces “substantial doubt” it can continue operating. (Oregonian)

STORAGE: Northern California wineries install long-duration iron and saltwater batteries in a solar-plus-storage microgrid they are building. (PV Magazine)

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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.