Feds abandon New Mexico oil and gas plan

OIL & GAS: The federal Bureau of Land Management abandons work on a resource management plan ten years in the making that would guide oil and gas development in northwestern New Mexico’s Chaco region, baffling conservationists and the industry alike. (Capital & Main)

ALSO:

• Colorado regulators reject proposed oil and gas drilling near residential areas following protest from residents, advocates and local officials. (Longmont Times-Call)
• A Colorado petroleum refinery reports more than a dozen malfunctions sent excessive amounts of harmful pollutants into the air over a Denver-area neighborhood since Dec. 1. (Greeley Tribune)
• Wyoming’s oil and gas industry pushes back on the Biden administration’s LNG export terminal permitting moratorium, saying it shuts off potential markets for their product. (Cowboy State Daily)
• A company plans to expand a Permian Basin oil and gas wastewater pipeline to meet burgeoning demand. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)

MINING:

• An Arizona media investigation finds proposed lithium mines across the West will require billions of gallons of water, further stressing supplies in drought-plagued areas. (Howard Center)
• Arizona environmentalists file a lawsuit accusing state regulators of secretly approving a waste pipeline for a proposed copper mine. (Arizona Daily Star)
• Conservationists call on Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to order the closure of a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon, saying it could contaminate water and harm cultural sites. (news release)

UTILITIES: An Oregon county joins winemakers’ lawsuit against Pacific Power for its alleged role in sparking the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. (KOIN)

ELECTRIFICATION: Colorado residents accuse Xcel Energy of hampering efforts to electrify their homes and disconnect from natural gas service. (Daily Camera)

SOLAR:

• California advocates ask the state’s Supreme Court to review regulators’ decision to slash net-metering rates for rooftop solar. (Sacramento Bee)
• Data show demand for rooftop solar installations in California has fallen 80% since regulators slashed net-metering compensation for residential arrays. (CalMatters)
• Washington state lawmakers consider a bill aimed at increasing low-income households’ access to community solar. (Daily Herald)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Oregon receives $1.27 million in federal funding to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved communities. (KPIC 4)

CLIMATE:

• Oregon allocates $10 million for farmers and ranchers to establish ​“natural climate solutions” that keep carbon in soil. (OPB)
• The National Science Foundation awards a Colorado-Wyoming partnership $15 million to launch a climate solutions and clean energy innovation hub. (Colorado Sun)
• The National Science Foundation chooses an Arizona university to lead a multi-institutional effort to tackle climate change’s effects and spur economic development in the desert Southwest. (news release)

POLITICS: Republican Utah lawmakers establish an ​“environmental stewardship” caucus that emphasizes the importance of fossil fuels. (Deseret News)