PUBLIC LANDS: Newly released data shows that 87% of the Bureau of Land Management’s Washington D.C. staff decided to leave the agency rather than relocate to a new headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado. (The Hill)

ALSO:
• The Interior Department confirms President Biden’s executive order suspending new federal oil and gas lease sales postpones planned auctions in the West originally planned for March and April. (S&P Global)
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says the state has a “constitutional obligation” to develop its natural resources, but will consider cleaner forms of energy while remaining committed to fossil fuels. (Juneau Empire)

CLIMATE:
• New Mexico lawmakers introduce a climate solutions bill that includes cutting oil industry emissions 60% by 2030. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• California’s legislature is working on a number of proposed bills aiming to combat climate change. (Capital Public Radio News)

EQUITY: California U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán reintroduces two bills that would create a federal program that would support underserved communities applying for grants for clean energy microgrids and reduce toxic pollution in port communities. (Our Time Press, My News LA)

OIL & GAS:
• Wyoming’s oil and gas industry did not suffer nearly as much as expected in 2020, according to a new state report. (Big Horn Radio Network)
• A new report indicates Colorado and New Mexico’s oil and gas boom is very likely to decline, and both states need to think about transitioning to a clean energy economy. (Mountain Town News)
• Activists in Colorado’s Weld County launch a long-shot effort to be annexed into Wyoming, citing Colorado’s “war” with fossil fuels. (USA Today)

COAL:
• Farmington, New Mexico and Enchant Energy seek to intervene in a federal regulatory case amid concerns that the state’s largest utility might force the San Juan Generating Station to close rather than retrofitting it. (Farmington Daily Times)
• A new report indicates Colorado’s newest coal plant should be closed long before its planned shutdown in 2070 due to poor performance. (Mountain Town News)

HYDROGEN: A California energy infrastructure company is among those looking at the use of hydrogen fuel blends in natural gas pipelines. (Bloomberg)

SOLAR: An Xcel Energy representative says industrial and business ratepayers in New Mexico are most likely to benefit from community solar legislation being considered in the state’s legislature. (Roswell Daily Record)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Arizona’s largest utility is working with an electric vehicle public charging network to deploy 20 ultra-fast chargers statewide. (Green Car Congress)

EFFICIENCY: Home builders in Washington state seek further delay of new energy efficiency standards, saying the COVID-19 pandemic is still disrupting supply chains and driving up costs. (The Columbian)

COMMENTARY:
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis explains his administration’s next steps towards combating climate change and transitioning to renewable energy. (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says President Biden’s executive orders suspending new federal oil and gas leases risk holding citizens back from opportunities “to earn a living, lift themselves from poverty, and pursue the American dream.” (CNBC)
• The Los Angeles Times praises President Biden’s executive orders focused on taking action on climate change, saying “combating climate change is too vital to our existence for such fickleness.”
• A clean energy reporter says newly-elected Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s opposition to the Paris agreement reflects ignorance about how a city in her district is a leader in taking action to transition to a clean energy economy. (Inside Climate News)

Lisa is a Lenape and Nanticoke Native American freelance journalist, editor and writer currently based in the U.K. She has more than two decades’ experience working in corporate communications and print and digital media. She compiles the Western Energy News daily email digest. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University; her specializations include data journalism and visualization. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists (U.K.).