OIL & GAS: Colorado regulators dial back rules meant to ensure operators will pay to plug their abandoned oil and gas wells, drawing ire from environmentalists and praise from the industry. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:
• New Mexico environmental advocates say the Biden administration’s proposed oil and gas methane emissions rule should be expanded to cover low-producing wells and prevent flaring. (NMPolitical Report)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management considers deferring 96% of lands nominated for oil and gas leasing in an upcoming Colorado sale due to wildlife impacts and ongoing tribal consultation. (E&E News, subscription)
• Santa Barbara County, California’s planning commission recommends county supervisors deny ExxonMobil’s proposal to truck oil by highway from offshore drilling platforms. (news release)
• Colorado residents criticize regulators for not allowing the public to join oil and gas facility inspection tours, saying it violates open meeting laws. (Aspen Times)

UTILITIES:
• Arizona regulators order utilities to suspend power shutoffs for nonpayment during periods of extreme heat or cold. (Arizona Daily Star)
• A New Mexico hearing examiner’s report cites numerous missteps by Avangrid and Public Service Company of New Mexico as reasons for recommending rejection of the utilities’ proposed merger. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• California’s community choice aggregation program is financially stressed by the coronavirus-related recession, wildfires, and power shortages, a credit rating agency says. (E&E News, subscription)
• California regulators are expected to vote today on a Southern California Gas Co. proposal to expand Aliso Canyon natural gas storage capacity to avert potential shortages this winter. (Reuters)
• Southern California Edison begins transitioning 2.3 million residential customers to time-of-use plans with higher rates during peak demand hours. (CBSLA)   

CLIMATE: Republican lawmakers from Western states unveil a climate plan that would expand natural gas, nuclear power, and carbon capture with an aim of cutting emissions 40% by 2050. (E&E News)

SOLAR:
• The Bureau of Land Management plans to hold its second ever competitive solar lease sale next month on 8,500 acres of public land in Arizona. (E&E News, subscription)   
• A Washington state siting council recommends approval of an 80 MW solar project proposed for the center of the state. (RTO Insider, subscription)

WIND: A floating wind turbine pilot project proposed for off the coast of California advances to the environmental assessment phase. (news release) 

COMMENTARY:
• The CEO of a major electricity wholesaler says Western regional transmission organizations are needed to integrate more renewable energy into the grid. (Utility Dive)
• A California labor union’s environmental organizer calls on Congress to pass infrastructure legislation to counter climate change and create clean energy jobs. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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.