POLLUTION: California regulators say the decline in fossil fuel use during the coronavirus pandemic presents a unique opportunity to study the impacts of air pollution. (Bloomberg Law)

ALSO: Scientists say it’s too early to tell how much of the reduction in air pollution in the Los Angeles area is attributable to weather. (Los Angeles Times)

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FOSSIL FUELS: Montana youths file a lawsuit to stop the state from promoting the use of fossil fuels. (InsideClimate News)

OIL & GAS:
• A judge has temporarily blocked Alaska Native oil and gas companies from accessing $8 billion in coronavirus relief funds meant for tribal governments. (BuzzFeed)
• Environmental advocates suspect pressure from the oil industry may be a factor in the dismissal of a University of Colorado air quality researcher. (WestWord)
• Activists say “a complicated mess of emissions” from oil and gas activity near Bakersfield, California are creating disproportionate health impacts. (E&E News, subscription)

PUBLIC LANDS: Two Colorado conservationists say the federal government’s outdated oil and gas management system has allowed companies to abandon wells across the state. (Colorado Independent)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: The founders of Navajo Power and a Los Angeles City Council candidate say that renewable energy development is key to rebuilding the West’s economy once the coronavirus crisis passes. (PV Magazine)

SOLAR: California’s Energy Commission clarifies that solar and energy storage installers are considered essential electricity industry workers during the state’s shelter-in-place directive. (Solar Power World)

BIOENERGY: The vice president of a natural gas company says California has led the way in renewable natural gas initiatives, particularly its Low-Carbon Fuel Standard. (Waste 360)

NUCLEAR: A lawsuit filed by an advocacy group alleges New Mexico officials ignored state regulations in approving a project at a nuclear waste storage site. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES:
• Attorneys for two rural Colorado utilities warn that Tri-State Generation and Transmission could have federal regulators preempt state jurisdiction over exit charges for members aiming to leave the cooperative. (Utility Dive)
• A California utility executive says the coronavirus pandemic is “adding an extra layer of complexity” to preparing for the upcoming wildfire season. (Bloomberg Green)

EFFICIENCY:
• A PG&E program that provides efficiency incentives for customers rebuilding homes lost during 2018’s wildfire season is being extended through 2020. (KRCR)
• A report on the first year of Denver’s Green Buildings Ordinance says such projects will consume less energy and contribute less to the city’s urban heat island. (Colorado Politics)

COMMENTARY:
• A conservative Arizona conservationist says the state’s leaders and utilities continue to focus on strong energy policy in the future despite the coronavirus pandemic. (Arizona Capitol Times)
• A writer says oil production in states like New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado is being killed by the coronavirus crisis and might never bounce back. (Las Vegas Sun)

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.).