ELECTION 2020: A constitutional amendment to establish a 50% renewable energy standard in Nevada appears likely to pass, with 56% percent of voters in favor. (Vox)

ALSO:
• Two Democrats and one Republican could take seats as Arizona’s newest utility regulators, shifting the board’s party alignment. (Arizona Central)
• A majority of voters in Boulder, Colorado so far are in favor of a new contract with Xcel Energy, which would effectively end the city’s push to form a municipal utility. (BizWest, Energy News Network archive)
• Voters in Alaska are rejecting a citizen-led initiative to increase taxes on North Slope oil producers. (Anchorage Daily News)
• One incumbent commissioner and two newcomers seem likely to secure seats on Montana’s Public Service Commission. (Associated Press)
• A measure to change the New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission from elected to appointed positions appears likely to pass, with 55% of voters supporting. (KQRE)
• Denver voters approve a sales tax increase to support renewable energy development. (Colorado Politics)

***SPONSORED LINK: The New England Energy Summit, Nov. 16, 23 and 30 will bring together industry leaders, end users and policymakers to address emerging issues and engage in impactful discussion. Featuring keynote speakers Ernest J. Moniz and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Register at newenglandenergysummit.com .***

CLIMATE: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says that the state’s extended fire season, extreme drought conditions, and low water levels show that policy aimed at reducing the causes of climate change must continue. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

CALIFORNIA: PG&E denies deliberately targeting lower risk areas for wildfire-prevention work so it could meet state-mandated targets more easily. (Courthouse News Service)

OIL & GAS: A Colorado judge again rules a city’s fracking ban conflicts with state law and cannot go into effect. (Denver Business Journal)

PUBLIC LANDS:
• Experts say choosing a New Mexico Democrat for Interior secretary could indicate how far removed from the “energy dominance” era the Biden administration wants to go should he be elected. (E&E News)
• The Bureau of Land Management’s October Nevada geothermal lease sale concludes, with $148,009 to be shared between the state and federal government. (ThinkGeoEnergy)

COAL: An apprenticeship program is helping former employees of an Arizona coal plant develop careers in technology. (Navajo-Hopi Observer)

MICROGRIDS: A $1.2 million solar battery microgrid will keep a California medical center’s critical facilities operating during power outages while significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. (news release)

SOLAR: Colorado State University awards two contracts for up to 10 MW of solar installations, which would double its solar energy production. (Solar Builder Magazine)

WIND: An Arizona county is considering a permit for the construction and operation of six new wind turbines near the Grand Canyon. (Williams-Grand Canyon News)

COMMENTARY: A Panasonic Energy of North America official in an interview reveals what future expansions could bring to Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory. (Electrek)

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.).