OIL & GAS: The Biden administration will announce a 20-year ban on federal oil and gas leasing within 10 miles of northern New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park today. (New York Times)

ALSO:
• New Mexico officials propose requiring developers to conduct archaeological surveys before drilling for oil and gas or embarking on other development on state lands. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Researchers find that 1,800 unlined oil and gas wastewater ponds across central California provide a direct pathway for hazardous materials to contaminate groundwater used for drinking and agriculture. (E&E News, subscription)

UTILITIES:
• A state hearing examiner recommends regulators approve Public Service Company of New Mexico’s bid to transfer ownership of Four Corners coal power plant to the Navajo Transitional Energy Company. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• A California county’s community choice energy program joins forces with the Southern California Regional Energy Network, giving its members access to funding and energy efficiency programs. (Los Angeles Times)
• Washington’s Pacific Power plans to rely on demand response and out-of-state renewable power to comply with state requirements to be greenhouse gas neutral by 2030. (Yakima Herald)
• Southern California Edison increases its liabilities by $1.3 billion for wildfires sparked by its equipment in 2017 and 2018. (Los Angeles Business Journal)

SOLAR: Planning officials approve a proposal to construct Hawaii’s largest photovoltaic project. (Maui News)

HYDROPOWER: Colorado farmers develop micro-hydropower projects on irrigation systems to cut electricity costs and sell power back to the grid. (Reporter-Herald)

WIND: The U.S. Interior Department officially designates a wind energy zone on 240,898 acres along central California’s coast and seeks public input before issuing an environmental analysis. (Renewables Now) 

CLIMATE:
• Record high temperatures, Santa Ana winds, and drought-parched vegetation heighten southern California wildfire risk. (Los Angeles Times)
• California officials propose instituting a ranking system for heat waves similar to what’s used to measure hurricanes and adopting other measures to deal with escalating temperatures. (Los Angeles Times)

NUCLEAR: A proposed advanced nuclear reactor that would replace a retiring Wyoming coal plant must be operational by 2028 to qualify for federal funding. (Casper Star-Tribune)

COAL: A Wyoming energy company official expects to see strong demand for the state’s coal next year due to high natural gas prices and global market conditions. (Gillette News Record)

TRANSPORTATION: California gas prices hit $4.68 per gallon, setting a new state record. (CNN)  

COMMENTARY:
• New Mexico utility regulators say inadequate funding for the state’s Public Regulation Commission has resulted in staff shortages, a lack of technical advisors and a rule-making backlog. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• California lawmakers call for Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to continue operating past its scheduled 2025 closure to help the state reach zero-carbon goals while maintaining system reliability. (CalMatters)
• A Colorado environmental advocate says banning oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will help clean up her state’s air. (Boulder Daily Camera)

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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.