Biden scales back Arctic oil and gas leases

OIL & GAS: The Biden administration moves to narrow the scope of an oil and gas lease sale mandated by law in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in an end-of-term effort to cement its environmental legacy. (Washington Post)

ALSO:

• California scientists, lawmakers and advocates urge regulators to back off on a proposal to tighten low-carbon fuel standards, saying it will increase gasoline prices and yield minimal environmental benefits. (Sacramento Bee)
• Denver-based Anschutz Exploration acquires the Oxy/​Anadarko group’s oil and gas interests in northeastern Wyoming, making it the largest petroleum firm in the Powder River Basin. (Cowboy State Daily) 
• Wyoming lawmakers consider using the proceeds from a state land sale to purchase federal parcels in the Powder River Basin for oil and gas development. (WyoFile)

LITHIUM: A federal judge extends an exploratory drilling pause at a proposed lithium mine in western Arizona until the Hualapai Tribe’s lawsuit seeking to block the facility is resolved. (news release)

SOLAR:

• New Mexico regulators acknowledge the state’s community solar program has been slow to get off the ground and call on lawmakers to increase the initiative’s funding. (Santa Fe New Mexican) 
• Traders sell off California and Arizona solar installation company stocks upon fears that President-elect Trump will revoke federal clean energy incentives. (NBC Los Angeles)

BUILDINGS: A developer brings a district energy system online that uses waste heat from a neighboring gas plant to provide cooling and heating to about 200,000 square feet of buildings in Bellingham, Washington. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Southern California Edison implements public safety outages to mitigate wildfire hazard, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power as extreme winds whip a destructive blaze through Los Angeles-area neighborhoods. (Los Angeles Times)

ELECTION: New Mexico voters re-elect Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a clean energy advocate and sponsor of bipartisan permitting reform legislation. (New Mexico Political Report)

CLIMATE:

• A state-commissioned study finds Colorado could avoid new carbon emissions by executing land-use reforms that promote transit-oriented development, remove parking mandates and allow for accessory dwelling units. (Colorado Sun)
• Observers predict the incoming Trump administration will work to kill California clean air regulations aimed at advancing the state’s climate goals and complying with federal standards. (Los Angeles Times)
• California researchers find human-caused climate change has become the main driver of droughts in the Western U.S. over the last few decades. (Los Angeles Times)