UTILITIES: An Oregon jury finds PacifiCorp responsible for sparking the destructive 2020 Labor Day fires in the southern part of the state and orders the utility to pay 17 victims $73 million for damages and emotional distress. (Associated Press)

ALSO:
• Administrators of a trust for victims of Pacific Gas & Electric-sparked wildfires in California enter mediation to resolve AT&T’s claims against the fund for damage to its equipment. (Press Democrat)
• California regulators allow PG&E to recover more than $1.1 billion in wildfire mitigation costs from ratepayers after public advocates urged them to reject the utility’s request. (RTO Insider, subscription) 
• A northern California city considers joining a clean energy community choice aggregation program. (The Reporter)

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CLIMATE: A peer-reviewed study finds human-caused climate change responsible for summer wildfires burning larger areas of California. (news release) 

NUCLEAR: Wyoming’s uranium mining industry prepares to bring idled facilities back into production after renewed interest in nuclear power drives up the commodity’s price. (Wyoming Public Radio)

CLEAN ENERGY: The U.S. Energy Department awards a Montana nonprofit $150,000 to fund efforts to build a more diverse and equitable clean energy workforce. (NBC Montana) 

OIL & GAS: Arizona energy analysts attribute high gasoline prices to state fuel blend requirements, refinery outages and a pipeline capacity shortage. (Arizona Republic)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Arizona lawmakers debate extending a half-cent sales tax that generates billions of dollars to fund public transit and highway projects. (Arizona Republic)
• U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, leads an effort to restore long-distance passenger rail service to Phoenix. (Arizona Republic)  

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California officials predict the state’s electric vehicle rebate program will run out of funds earlier than expected after a Tesla price drop makes the cars eligible for the incentives. (RTO Insider, subscription)

ELECTRIFICATION: The Sierra Club files a brief calling on a federal court to reconsider an April ruling overturning Berkeley, California’s natural gas hookup ban. (news release)

SOLAR:
• An Arizona man is sentenced to nine years in prison and a $1 million fine for fraudulently collecting more than $50 million in federal solar tax credits. (KING5)  
• A California manufacturing firm offsets 100% of its electricity demand with a 428-panel rooftop solar installation. (news release)     

EFFICIENCY: The Nisqually Tribe in Washington state partners with a utility on energy efficiency upgrades and solar panel construction, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars on utility bills annually. (The Olympian)

COMMENTARY: A New Mexico journalist chronicles his effort to live 100% power and water independent by going off the grid. (CNET)

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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.