Forthcoming EPA action could force Colorado emissions crackdown

OIL & GAS: The U.S. EPA is poised to downgrade Denver’s ground-level ozone standard nonattainment level, putting pressure on state regulators to crack down on oil and gas industry emissions. (CBS News Colorado)

ALSO: Oil and gas industry employment levels remain below pre-pandemic levels even though drilling activity and oil company profits have increased. (E&E News)

WIND: California Gov. Gavin Newsom urges state regulators to set a goal to develop at least 20 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2045. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR:
• The federal Bureau of Land Management withdraws 118,600 acres in southwestern Nevada from new mining claims to evaluate its suitability for utility-scale solar development. (E&E News, subscription)
• A New Mexico municipal utility agrees to drop a standby service rider fee on rooftop solar users and refund past charges to settle solar advocates’ lawsuit. (news release)
• A Colorado solar co-op offers $8,000 to income-qualified households to purchase rooftop installations. (Denver Gazette)
• A renewable energy developer seeks public input on a 127 MW solar installation proposed for private land in western Colorado. (Cortez Journal)
• A Navajo Nation coal mining community installs a solar-plus-storage system on its chapter house. (news release)

COAL: A conservation group sues Colorado regulators for allowing a coal mine in the western part of the state to operate without air quality permits. (Daily Sentinel)

TRANSPORTATION:
• A federal investigation finds evidence of pervasive racial discrimination at Tesla’s San Francisco factory. (Bloomberg Law)
• An electric vehicle battery recycling and parts manufacturer begins construction on a $3.5 billion facility in Sparks, Nevada. (Forbes)
• A Colorado city considers requiring electric vehicle charging capability in all new construction. (KDVR)

GRID: The developer of the proposed Wyoming-to-Nevada TransWest Express transmission project applies to join California’s grid operator’s network. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES:
• Idaho Power launches a planned outage program aimed at reducing the risk of utility equipment sparking wildfires. (KTVB)
• A New Mexico business group calls on state prosecutors to investigate the state Public Regulation Commission, which oversees utilities, for allegedly violating open meeting laws. (Albuquerque Journal)

LITHIUM: A mining company proposes extracting lithium from abandoned oil and gas wells in southeastern Utah. (KZMU)

NUCLEAR: Environmental groups sue to reverse a federal license granted to an interim spent nuclear reactor fuel depository proposed for the Permian Basin. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)