UTILITIES: Xcel Energy officials say the utility will likely experience power supply shortfalls in Colorado next summer if two pending solar facilities delayed by supply chain issues are not yet online. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO: Salt River Project censures four board members for urging regulators to reject the Arizona utility’s controversial proposal to expand a natural gas power plant in a historically Black neighborhood. (ABC15)

COAL:
• A clean energy think tank finds Colorado and New Mexico have some of the nation’s most effective policies for helping communities transition away from coal. (Canary Media)
• A federal judge revokes a Trump-era approval of a coal mine expansion in Montana, saying it failed to consider impacts burning the coal would have on water and the climate. (news release)
• The firm hoping to equip the San Juan coal plant in New Mexico with carbon capture equipment says it is moving forward even though the facility ceased operations last month. (NM Political Report)

GRID: Public Service Company of New Mexico proposes spending $344 million to modernize its grid, including deploying smart meters to facilitate demand response. (NM Political Report)

OIL & GAS: Environmental groups urge federal regulators to revoke approval for repairs to a pipeline that ruptured off California’s coast last year, saying it should be dismantled and removed. (Common Dreams) 

TRANSPORTATION: In an effort to ease soaring gasoline prices, California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on lawmakers to levy a windfall tax on oil company profits. (Los Angeles Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Oregon regulators fine an electric vehicle charging station firm $2.7 million for falsely claiming state greenhouse gas emissions credits and selling them to a fossil fuel company. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Hawaii plans to install 11 electric vehicle charging stations on highways around the state. (KHON)

SOLAR:
• A California startup partners with Sunrun to recycle used solar panels by  extracting high-value materials from them for reuse. (CNBC)
• Washington state regulators issue an environmental impact statement for two 80 MW solar facilities proposed for the southern part of the state. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

CRITICAL MINERALS:
• An Australian company proposing a manganese mine in southern Arizona plans to accelerate development to meet surging demand for the mineral used in electric vehicle batteries. (Bloomberg)
• A California citizens’ commission charged with evaluating development of “Lithium Valley” debates the environmental impacts of lithium extraction. (Desert Sun)

COMMENTARY: Colorado energy analysts call on Western utilities to form regional energy markets to lower costs and spur clean energy development. (Colorado Sun)

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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.