PUBLIC LANDS:
• A federal judge rules William Perry Pendley has been working unlawfully as acting director of the Bureau of Land Management for 424 days without being confirmed by the Senate. (The Hill)
• The Bureau of Land Management nets just under $2 million in Wyoming and Colorado from a scaled-back oil and gas lease sale. (Casper Star-Tribune, Kallanish Energy)
CALIFORNIA: Experts say California will need an upgraded grid to accommodate more electric cars, which could create more opportunities to expand clean energy. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
CLIMATE:
• Arizona advocates say the state needs to reclaim its leadership on climate change. (Arizona Republic)
• A New Mexico state climatologist says climate change in the U.S. Southwest is becoming more evident as drought intensifies and temperatures rise. (Associated Press)
COAL: Hawaii Gov. David Ige signs a bill banning new power purchase agreements for coal-generated electricity after December 2022. (Pacific Business News, subscription)
FOSSIL FUELS: Critics of a proposed Salt Lake City inland port are concerned the project will lead to increased exports of fossil fuels. (Deseret News)
OIL & GAS: Oil companies are pumping large donations into opposing a citizen-led Alaska oil tax ballot initiative. (Anchorage Daily News)
NUCLEAR: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham continues to oppose a proposed nuclear waste facility, saying the federal government failed to address numerous economic and environmental concerns. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
SOLAR:
• Utah regulators this week will hear a case that could change the way Rocky Mountain Power customers are compensated for solar power. (Deseret News)
• Tax and solar industry experts reject claims that a California tax law reform initiative would impose “massive property tax increases” on solar projects and drive up electricity costs. (Capital Public Radio News)
GEOTHERMAL: Hawaii’s health department decides the state’s only geothermal power plant does not require an additional environmental review in order to restart. (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• United States Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette criticizes renewable energy and pushes natural gas and nuclear power to provide “24/7 reliable energy” to California. (Orange County Register)
• A PG&E official explains why the state’s wildfires will worsen unless steps are taken to mitigate them, citing his experience with forest health and management methods as an example. (Santa Maria Times)
• A leader with a conservative environmental advocacy organization says Wyoming’s coal mining communities can be a part of the solution to fighting climate change. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A Utah solar developer says a utility’s proposal to cut rates for solar customers means “we will all be stuck with coal power.” (Deseret News)