CLEAN ENERGY: A new report finds the Trump administration has approved about half as many wind and solar projects on public land as the Obama administration did over a similar time period. (Reuters)

ALSO:
• New Mexico regulatory staff recommend solar panels and back-up battery storage systems to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• Green advocates say there is uneven progress on efforts to cut emissions in Democratic-led states including Colorado, Washington, and New Mexico. (E&E News)
• A new study finds California’s clean energy programs disproportionately benefit wealthy residents. (Los Angeles Times)

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COAL:
• Coal communities already hit hard by the loss of jobs and health coverage are now struggling with a healthcare crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Energy News Network)
• As the coal industry hemorrhages jobs, states and environmental groups are seeking ways to transition to a lower-carbon economy without leaving coal workers behind. (E&E News)
• A Montana utility is seeking millions from ratepayers to cover costs related to a coal plant shutdown over the summer. (Billings Gazette)

OIL & GAS:
• The drinking water of an Alaska Native village is under threat from a 15,000 gallon fuel oil spill. (EcoWatch)
• Proponents have dropped a ballot initiative to form a new commission to replace Colorado’s oil and gas regulator. (Denver Business Journal)
• Farmers and ranchers in New Mexico consider using recycled wastewater from oil fields for irrigation as other sources are strained. (New Mexico Political Report)

TRANSPORTATION:
• California’s Air Resources Board is set to vote today on its proposed Advanced Clean Trucks rule requiring 60% of new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. (Forbes)
• A new solar canopy will power all of the maintenance vehicles for an Arizona transit agency. (Solar Power World) 

OFFSHORE WIND: A recent federal simulation of a proposed wind farm off the coast of California shows potential visual impacts would be minimal. (Monterey County Weekly)

EFFICIENCY: Building projects in a Colorado county are in limbo after officials opt out of a state efficiency financing program. (Denver Post)

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NUCLEAR: New Mexico officials and residents are divided on the environmental impact of a proposed nuclear waste storage facility, with some citing “grave concerns” about the project. (Carlsbad Current Argus)

COMMENTARY:
• Gwich’in Steering Committee’s executive director says Alaska’s congressional delegation is exploiting racial justice to push a pro-oil narrative. (Anchorage Daily News)
• Two California clean energy advocates say zero-emission transportation programs can help boost the state’s economic recovery. (Los Angeles Daily News)
• An advocate says Alaska and California are among a number of states showing the way forward on energy efficiency policies, particularly fuel switching and substitution. (ACEEE)
• A former Wyoming lawmaker says the state can no longer rely on its minerals industry for property taxes. (Cowboy State Daily)

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.).