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)

Lisa Ellwood

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.).