CLIMATE: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis reveals a new plan to reduce greenhouse gas pollution with a goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2040, but critics say the roadmap is still not specific enough. (CBS Denver, Colorado Sun)

ALSO: A new California program aiming to support Native American tribes’ clean energy efforts in the state awards $2 million to tribal climate change initiatives. (Solar Power World)

PUBLIC LANDS:
• A new survey finds that only 28% of voters support the Trump administration’s efforts at promoting drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and 40% are in favor of fossil fuels extraction on public lands. (New York Times)
• The Trump administration finalizes a rule that would make it more difficult for banks to refuse to finance controversial oil and gas projects, as some have pledged to do to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (E&E News)
• The Bureau of Land Management’s final oil and gas lease sale in New Mexico under the Trump administration yesterday earned roughly $3.9 million. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• The Bureau of Land Management plans for more renewable energy projects on California desert land, despite opposition from environmental groups. (Solar Power World, My News LA) 

POLICY: Produced Water Act amendments are among environment-focused bills prefiled for New Mexico’s 2021 legislative session. (New Mexico Political Report)

SOLAR:
• A global joint venture partnership is developing utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in a number of U.S. states, including Nevada, Oregon, and Wyoming. (PV Magazine)
• Construction has begun on four new community solar gardens totaling 8 MW in the Denver metropolitan area. (Renewable Energy Magazine)
• Salt Lake City’s fire department aims to make one of the city’s two sustainability-focused fire stations “net zero” by adding to its 300 rooftop solar panels. (Yale Climate Connections)

UTILITIES:
• A Washington county’s public utility district approves membership dues and adds to the list of organizations it is supporting this year and. (Peninsula Daily News)
• A Central California community choice aggregation program is to provide power to another nine communities. (Noozhawk)

WIND: A study by Sandia National Laboratories researchers indicates a new carbon fiber material could benefit the wind energy industry if developed commercially. (KRQE) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Colorado’s utility regulator earlier this week approved a $110 million plan under which Xcel Energy will deploy 20,000 electric vehicle charging stations across the state. (Utility Dive)

TRANSPORTATION: An Oregon city is seeing tangible rewards in moving from fossil fuels to electric transportation. (Ashland Tidings)

COMMENTARY: The Los Angeles Times editorial board says climate change remains the defining crisis of our era, and we’re still not doing enough to address it.

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.).