OIL & GAS: A coalition of Utah counties votes to allow a company to secure up to $2 billion in bonds to finance a proposed oil railway that would link the Uinta Basin to national markets. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:
• A federal judge rules in favor of ConocoPhillips in a dispute with Alaska regulators and allows the company to keep data from its Willow oil and gas discovery confidential. (Anchorage Daily News, subscription)
• A New Mexico environmental group calls on the U.S. EPA to revoke a Permian Basin oil and gas facility’s air quality permit, saying the site contributes to high ozone levels. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• New Mexico advocates call on the Biden administration to finalize oil and gas reforms and increase reclamation bond requirements in advance of a planned Permian Basin federal lease sale. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

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WIND: Idaho lawmakers advance a resolution calling on the federal Bureau of Land Management to block the proposed Lava Ridge wind facility in the southern part of the state. (Times-News) 

GRID:
• Some eastern Oregon residents urge regulators to block a proposed 300-mile high-voltage transmission line that would carry clean energy across the state, saying it would disrupt views. (KGW8)  
• Federal investigators offer a $25,000 reward for information on last year’s attacks on power grid infrastructure in Washington and Oregon. (Oregonian)

TRANSPORTATION: San Diego eliminates hundreds of parking spots at a popular park and adds dedicated bike and bus lanes as part of an effort to reduce driving. (7 San Diego)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Utah registered more electric vehicles than diesel fueled cars or trucks in 2022 for the first time, but EVs account for less than 1% of the state’s vehicles. (Salt Lake Tribune)

EQUITY: A study finds affluent Los Angeles residents who drive more are exposed to less air pollution than those living in lower-income neighborhoods bisected by highways. (Los Angeles Times)

BATTERIES: A California startup develops a compressed gas-based electric vehicle battery it says will be less prone to fire and will operate better in the cold. (10 News San Diego)

ELECTRIFICATION:
• Oregon energy analysts say the state lacks a comprehensive plan to meet the predicted 50% increase in power demand resulting from widespread electrification. (Oregonian)   
• A utility-funded effort to overturn an Oregon city’s natural gas hookup ban appears to have garnered enough signatures to put the issue to a public vote. (KLCC) 

LITHIUM: Environmental groups ask a court to order the federal government to extend protections to a rare minnow found only in Nevada, saying lithium mining and geothermal power development threaten the tiny fish. (Pahrump Valley Times)

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NUCLEAR: Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers from Western states introduce a bill that would ban uranium imports from Russia and potentially jumpstart the waning domestic mining industry. (news release)

COMMENTARY: A journalist looks back on the legacy of former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah, who died this week and is credited with standing up to fossil fuel companies operating on tribal land. (Source NM) 

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Jonathan P. Thompson

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.