HYDROPOWER: Federal regulators release a final environmental review supporting a proposal to remove four hydropower dams that harm fish on the Klamath River in Oregon and California. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• The owners of a pipeline that spilled 25,000 gallons of oil off southern California’s coast last year agree to pay nearly $13 million in fines and cleanup costs. (CNN)  
• A California lawmaker withdraws her bill that would have increased penalties for air-polluting oil refineries after industry pushback led other legislators to water it down. (KQED)
• Oil and gas industry officials say California lawmakers are excluding them from  proposed climate legislation discussions. (KCRA) 

POLLUTION: Colorado air quality officials say ozone pollution is difficult to tackle in the state because its background and natural levels are so high. (Colorado Sun)

NUCLEAR: California lawmakers introduce a bill that would extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant beyond its planned 2025 retirement, but legislators are short on time to consider it before the legislative session ends tomorrow. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Los Angeles public transit ridership surpasses the Bay Area’s for the first time, raising questions about transit’s role in fighting climate change and to whom it should cater. (Mercury News)
• A California commuter rail line can begin testing its electrification project after a major substation is energized. (Trains)
• Colorado officials consider whether to allow electric bikes on bike paths and trails. (Colorado Sun) 
• Thieves cut electric vehicle charger wires in Nevada and California to steal the high-priced copper within. (VICE)
• An Idaho company specializes in converting classic gasoline-powered cars to electric. (East Idaho News) 

SOLAR: California’s energy commission awards $1.23 million to a firm to develop a solar-plus-storage system for an 11-story multifamily housing complex in a lower-income area. (news release) 

STORAGE: An underground compressed air energy storage project proposed for southern California raises concerns about its potential effects on groundwater. (Antelope Valley Press)  

GRID:
• Hawaiian Electric asks customers to conserve energy during peak demand times while two of its largest power plants are out of service. (Big Island Video News)
• Pacific Gas & Electric de-energizes a utility line in California when a man climbs a transmission tower, leaving 17,000 customers without power. (KCRA) 

MICROGRIDS: A U.S. Marine base’s microgrid sends power to a San Diego utility to help it avoid outages during high electricity demand. (Microgrid Knowledge)

COMMENTARY: A California energy analyst says strategically timed electric vehicle charging can help decarbonize the grid by using electricity when it’s cleanest. (Energy Institute Blog)

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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.