Biden greenlights contested Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada

LITHIUM: The Biden administration greenlights the proposed Rhyolite Ridge lithium and boron mine in Nevada even though advocates insist the work will drive the endangered Tiehm’s buckwheat to extinction. (Associated Press)

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OIL & GAS:

• New Mexico advocates call on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to ban PFAS chemicals in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing fluid, saying the forever chemicals pose severe health risks. (New Mexico Political Report)
• Republican federal lawmakers from California call on state regulators to delay a vote on tighter carbon reduction rules, saying they could increase gasoline prices by as much as 47 cents per gallon. (Los Angeles Times)
• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon calls on the federal Bureau of Land Management to further loosen oil and gas drilling restrictions in a proposed plan for the southwestern part of the state. (Wyoming Public Radio)

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GRID: Backers of the California grid operator’s Western day-ahead power market and transmission organization expect state lawmakers to pass legislation allowing for regional governance. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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HYDROGEN: Developers propose an off-grid, solar-powered green hydrogen production facility and distribution hub in California’s Inland Empire. (news release)

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UTILITIES:

• Southern California Edison plans to begin restoring power to a Los Angeles-area neighborhood that was cut off from utilities for weeks after landslides threatened infrastructure, saying the ground movement has slowed. (Los Angeles Times)
• Advocates say the Arizona election to fill three utility regulators’ seats could help determine the state’s and region’s energy future. (Canary Media)
• A New Mexico committee finishes interviewing nominees for the governor-appointed utility regulatory commission. (New Mexico Political Report)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A California county allocates $900,000 toward a project designed to convert wildfire mitigation waste into carbon-sequestering biochar. (The Union)

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CLIMATE:

• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee leads a campaign to defeat a ballot initiative aimed at overturning the state’s landmark climate law and the carbon cap-and-invest program that has generated billions of dollars for clean energy and resilience projects. (New York Times)
• A Colorado and Wyoming climate resilience grant program awards $3 million for projects ranging from methane emissions analysis to extreme weather and wildfire prediction. (news release)

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TRANSPORTATION: Colorado local officials and advocates urge the state to expand a proposed passenger rail line to several other communities in the western part of the state. (Vail Daily)

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COMMENTARY: A Colorado journalist says a U.S. EPA enforcement action against an oil and gas operator in New Mexico may herald a new era for the San Juan Basin energy “sacrifice zone.” (Land Desk)

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