CLIMATE: A federal court denies a request by Suncor Energy and Exxon Mobil, ruling that a climate lawsuit filed by the city of Boulder and two Colorado counties will remain in state court. (Boulder Daily Camera)
EMISSIONS: Critics say Colorado officials have missed a deadline to issue a greenhouse gas reduction plan and blame Gov. Jared Polis for not making the state’s emission targets a bigger political priority. (Colorado Sun)
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PUBLIC LANDS: Native American tribes and conservationists want 350,000 acres of public land in southern Nevada designated a national monument to protect it from mining, energy development, utility lines, and road construction. (KLAS)
OIL & GAS:
• New Mexico joins other states in a legal filing calling for the EPA to adopt stricter regulations on methane pollution from oil and gas. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• New Mexico fines a Colorado oil and gas company $5.3 million for repeated air pollution violations dating back to 2017. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• A study finds that a one-mile buffer zone would help protect Alaskan polar bear dens from oil and gas drilling and exploration — if they can be found. (InsideClimate News)
• Oregon landowners file a motion to invalidate FERC’s approval of exports from the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export terminal. (KDRV)
• Colorado oil and gas industry leaders and regulatory reform advocates disagree on the time needed to work on new oil and gas regulations. (Greeley Tribune)
COAL: The two newest coal companies in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin received millions of dollars in forgivable federal loans to help maintain operations and employees during the coronavirus crisis. (Casper Star-Tribune)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: New Mexico Democratic U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland says an infrastructure bill passed by the House would move the state towards an equitable renewable energy revolution. (Albuquerque Journal)
SOLAR:
• New Mexico’s largest utility unveils a 50 MW solar array built to power a Facebook data center with renewable energy. (Associated Press)
• A Southern California community approves a new regulatory code chapter establishing requirements for solar systems. (Rancho Santa Fe Review)
WIND: Residents of a Wyoming county pushing for changes in wind energy regulations are set to hold a rally this morning. (Cowboy State Daily)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A study by Stanford University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers concludes that electric vehicles must be accompanied by clean energy grids to combat air pollution and climate change. (Phys.org)
• The City of Durango, Colorado is awarded a $55,000 state grant to build electric vehicle infrastructure. (Durango Herald)
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FOSSIL FUELS: A new report indicates Wyoming’s energy decline began before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the state. (Casper Star-Tribune)
COMMENTARY:
• Republican Utah State Rep. Ray Ward says the cost of producing electricity from nuclear power will be much higher than other sources. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• A New Mexico official says addressing the state’s abandoned oil wells would resolve environmental concerns and get laid off oilfield workers back to work. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)