FOSSIL FUELS: Researchers find nearly one-fourth of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 have come from fossil fuels extracted on public lands, suggesting the federal government could cut emissions with carbon fees or stricter permitting requirements. (Carbon Brief)

OIL & GAS:
• A study finds a Colorado petroleum refinery has discharged harmful PFAS, or forever chemicals, into a stream that provides drinking and irrigation water to downstream communities. (Denver Post)
• An energy analyst suggests the Biden administration resumed oil and gas leasing to build support for the Build Back Better climate bill stalled in the Senate. (Grist)  
• The federal Bureau of Land Management defers plans to lease 135,000 acres for oil and gas drilling because the parcels are in sage grouse habitat. (Grand Junction Sentinel)
• Environmental groups sue Colorado regulators for allegedly delaying consideration of permits for four oil and gas facilities.

ELECTRIFICATION: Washington state officials consider requiring new commercial buildings to use heat pumps for warming air and water rather than natural gas or electric resistance appliances. (Spokesman-Review)    

STORAGE: A fire at an Arizona grid-scale battery facility spurs evacuations in surrounding neighborhoods. (Arizona Republic)

SOLAR: Amazon proposes developing a 300 MW solar plus storage facility in Yuma County, Arizona. (KYMA)

UTILITIES:
• Colorado electricity cooperatives battling Tri-State Generation and Transmission over long-term contracts seek new partial contracts rather than exiting outright. (Colorado Sun)
• Oregon’s Portland General Electric begins offering utility bill discounts to income-qualifying customers. (KOIN)  
• Federal regulators order PacifiCorp to refund premiums earned on high wholesale power sales during last year’s Western heat wave. (RTO Insider, subscription) 

HYDROPOWER:
• PacifiCorp proposes three pumped hydropower storage projects in Utah. (Hydro Review)
• Federal officials plan to release extra water from a Wyoming reservoir to keep Lake Powell water levels above the minimum needed for hydropower production. (Colorado Sun)

NUCLEAR:
• U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the government will pay communities to accept spent nuclear reactor fuel until a permanent federal repository is established. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Pacific Gas & Electric officials say they will retire Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in 2025 as scheduled even though the Biden administration is offering federal funds to keep reactors running. (Santa Maria Times)
• Westinghouse seeks to deploy its micro-reactor in diesel-reliant Alaska communities. (Alaska Journal of Commerce) 

TRANSPORTATION:
• Colorado regulators reject environmental justice advocates’ bid to speed up adoption of a rule aimed at getting more zero-emissions trucks on the road. (Colorado Newsline)   
• Despite expanding public transit and encouraging walkable neighborhoods, high transportation-related emissions could keep Portland, Oregon, from achieving climate goals. (New York Times)

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.