Biden administration plans to expand solar development on public lands

SOLAR: The U.S. Interior Department plans to expand solar development on public lands in the West, including three proposed projects in Arizona totaling about 1 GW. (PV-Tech)

ALSO: A rural Colorado county looks to build utility-scale solar facilities on drought-plagued agricultural land, but a lack of transmission is slowing progress. (Alamosa Citizen)

WIND: Forty-three companies compete for five federal offshore wind leases along northern California’s coast today. (Forbes)

UTILITIES:
• California regulators require state permits for utilities to build natural gas projects costing more than $75 million or that are expected to worsen air pollution in nearby communities. (Utility Dive)
• Public Service Company of New Mexico proposes increasing rates to recoup $2.6 billion needed to modernize its grid and transition away from fossil fuels. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIFICATION: A California municipal utility launches a pilot program aimed at electrifying low-income natural gas-reliant households. (CapRadio)

COAL: Federal occupational regulators fine a Utah contractor nearly $305,000 for violations relating to two workers’ deaths in June at a Colorado coal power plant. (McClatchy News)

OIL & GAS: Some residents of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula push back on Hilcorp’s efforts to expand its natural gas drilling projects there. (KDLL)

LITHIUM: Companies’ heightened interest in developing lithium mines in Nevada and other Western states has yet to spark economic or employment booms in nearby communities. (NPR)

CLIMATE: Washington state Republican lawmakers unveil a hydropower- and fossil fuel-heavy energy plan that would rely on electric vehicle adoption and carbon capture to reduce emissions. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

POLLUTION: Southern California regulators approve an ambitious smog reduction plan, but say they cannot meet national air quality standards without federal action. (Los Angeles Times)

TRANSPORTATION:
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes fining oil companies for exceeding a to-be-determined cap on profits and returning revenues to state residents. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Washington state regulators release final standards requiring a 20% reduction in transportation fuels’ carbon intensity by 2034. (Bellingham Herald)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Colorado energy officials seek applications for $910,000 in grants to fund organizations’ plans to provide electric bikes to income-qualified workers. (CPR)
• California awards an electric motorcycle company $20 million to fund battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities in the state. (Electrek)
• AAA deploys mobile electric vehicle charging trucks in 14 cities nationwide, including Bend and Portland, Oregon. (KTVZ)

POLITICS: U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican who opposes dismantling hydropower dams, is expected to become the House Energy and Commerce chair early next year. (E&E News)

COMMENTARY: A southern California editorial board urges regulators to hold firm on a plan to achieve a zero-emissions economy and cleaner air by ditching fossil fuels. (Los Angeles Times)