OIL & GAS: A survey finds residents of a South Los Angeles community surrounded by petroleum refineries and a large oilfield experience high levels of physical and mental illness. (High Country News/Grist)

ALSO:
• A consumer advocate’s study finds Wyoming would have reaped $1.7 billion more from federal oil and gas royalties over eight years had the rate been increased by 50% in 2013, like it was this year. (Wyoming Public Radio)
• California environmental advocates say regulators’ failure to enforce orders to plug and abandon idle Bakersfield-area wells led to major methane leaks from the facilities. (CapRadio) 
• The Biden administration postpones oil and gas lease sales in several Western states so it can address protests and complete environmental analyses. (Fox News)

SOLAR:
• A new solar-powered microfarm on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state could provide a model for other communities hoping to boost food and energy sovereignty. (Energy News Network/Crosscut)   
• A Korean company plans to bring a shuttered producer of polysilicon — a critical material for solar panels — back online in Washington state as part of an effort to create an American-made solar panel supply chain. (Grist)

UTILITIES:
• Washington state regulators approve Avista Utilities’ clean energy implementation plan, making it the first in the state to get the go-ahead. (Daily Energy Insider)
• A California environmental group calls on regulators to require Pacific Gas & Electric to prioritize decentralized grid planning and support rooftop solar and energy efficiency. (PV Magazine)

HYDROGEN: Chevron drops plans to invest in a 300 GWh green hydrogen production and storage project in Utah. (Energy Storage News)

GRID: Arizona regulators seek public comment on a proposed high-voltage transmission line that would serve a Meta data center being built in Mesa. (East Valley Tribune)

COAL: A fight over whether and when to retire the Colstrip power plant in Montana is on hold while minority owner Talen Energy goes through bankruptcy, complicating Western grid planning. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: FedEx says it has added 150 electric delivery vehicles to its southern California fleet. (Popular Science) 

NUCLEAR:
• An analysis finds keeping Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open past its planned 2025 closing date would reduce California’s emissions, decrease dependency on power imports and lower wholesale electricity prices. (S&P Global)
• The U.S. Energy Department awards a Wyoming university $800,000 to develop an environmental justice-based siting process for emerging and advanced nuclear technology. (news release)

CLEAN ENERGY: A Utah town joins 18 other cities and counties in a state program aiming to power members with 100% net renewable energy. (St. George News)

CLIMATE: Wyoming environmental groups host a summit to encourage local governments to adopt less carbon-intensive policies. (WyoFile)

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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.