OIL & GAS: A federal judge rejects environmental groups’ challenge of a Biden administration decision allowing oil and gas exploration to disturb and injure a limited number of polar bears and walruses in Alaska. (Reuters)

COAL:
• Two Washington state utilities plan to transfer their ownership in the Colstrip coal power plant in Montana rather than close it, raising the prospect the facility will continue to operate for years to come. (E&E News)
• A federal court rejects environmentalists’ bid to dismiss Wyoming’s and Montana’s challenge of an Obama-era coal-leasing moratorium. (Law360, subscription)

Sponsored Link
Job listings 50% off
Looking to spread the word about your open position? Share your posting on our job board — rates are half price for the rest of March! Listings are also included in our weekly newsletter.

WIND:
• The operator of a Colorado wind tower factory begins expanding the facility and plans to hire 850 new employees with funding from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. (BizWest)
• A developer proposes a 73-turbine, 393-MW wind power facility near its existing installation in Wyoming. (Casper Star-Tribune)

SOLAR: Thousands of California residents scramble to install rooftop solar before a new policy slashing compensation for power sent back to the grid goes into effect. (Los Angeles Times)

NUCLEAR: Nevada lawmakers consider urging Congress to use Yucca Mountain for renewable energy generation and storage rather than as a spent nuclear reactor fuel depository as previously planned. (KVVU)

CLEAN ENERGY: National labs in Colorado and Idaho say nuclear, wind and solar power can be combined in a single hybrid system to support the electricity grid. (news release)

EFFICIENCY: A Colorado foundation offers grants and loans for efficiency retrofits of multifamily properties housing underserved and low-income people. (Next City)

UTILITIES:
• Montana electric utilities urge lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow customers to be locked into paying for power plants before they’re built or purchased. (Billings Gazette)
• Arizona consumer advocates push back against Tucson Electric Power’s proposed 12% rate increase, saying it comes too soon after a 2021 hike. (Arizona Daily Star)

ELECTRIFICATION: Oregon urban and rural lawmakers spar over a bill that would phase out gasoline- and diesel-fueled leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other garden tools. (Willamette Week)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Colorado launches a grant program to help school districts purchase battery-powered buses and other electric vehicles. (Colorado Newsline)
• Washington State Ferries seeks bids to convert its largest vessels to hybrid-electric power. (Marine News)
• A southern California transit agency plans to purchase 25 more electric buses this year, making its fleet 90% battery powered. (Smart Cities Dive)

POLLUTION: Researchers find drought-diminished hydropower production in California leads to an increase in natural gas generation, disproportionately exacerbating air pollution for low-income and non-white communities. (Los Angeles Times)

PUBLIC LANDS: The federal Bureau of Land Management unveils a draft rule that would shift the way the agency manages public lands, potentially affecting future energy development. (E&E News)

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.