OIL & GAS: Noting that “climate change is the crisis of our lifetime,” the Biden administration cancels oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that were sold in 2021 and expands protections of the National Petroleum Reserve, sparking outrage from Alaska’s congressional delegation. (Alaska Beacon, E&E News)

ALSO: New Mexico’s state economists project oil and gas revenue will add nearly $2 billion to the state’s general fund over the next two years, but warn of the risks of growing too dependent on fossil fuel revenue. (Carlsbad Current Argus)

CLIMATE:
• Washington’s carbon trading program has generated nearly $1.5 billion in its first year, as lawmakers push to use the money to make energy and transportation more affordable for residents. (Seattle Times)
• An Arizona lawmaker says a Montana climate lawsuit victory will further stymie his effort in a conservative-dominated legislature to add language guaranteeing a right to a clean environment to the state’s constitution. (Arizona Republic)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: As “EVs have gone mainstream,” California will end its 13-year-old electric vehicle rebate program this year and will focus on expanding subsidies for lower-income buyers. (CalMatters)

BATTERIES:
• A lithium miner seeks to pump a massive amount of water from the Great Salt Lake, but says that unlike evaporation ponds, its technology will enable it to return all of the water to the lake. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• A Colorado town approves a zoning change for a proposed lithium-ion battery plant — expected to be the state’s largest — despite community opposition. (Denver Post, subscription)
• Work has begun on the Thacker Pass lithium processing plant in Nevada following a long legal battle over the facility. (Washington Times)

HYDROGEN: California officials push back on federal efforts to establish environmental standards for hydrogen incentives, saying “pathways for market liftoff” should not “single out and overburden one technology.” (Politico)

CARBON CAPTURE: Wyoming officials are expecting a surge in applications for carbon capture projects aiming to take advantage of federal incentives. (WyoFile)

WIND:
• The Bureau of Ocean Management will host a series of public meetings in Oregon to gather public comments on proposed offshore wind development. (KOBI)
• A leader of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians says they cannot support offshore wind development without assurances that tribal cultural resources and fishing jobs will be protected. (The World)

EFFICIENCY: Idaho’s Building Code Board is holding a public hearing today on a proposed code overhaul that would eliminate energy efficiency requirements as part of Gov. Brad Little’s push to eliminate regulations. (Boise State Public Radio)

UTILITIES:
• An Oregon utility says it is seeing a surge in electricity demand so far this year, a 20% increase over 2022. (KEZI)
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission is offering to sell excess power as the cooperative continues to lose members. (Utility Dive)

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Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.