New Mexico withholds oil and gas leases as it seeks higher royalty rates

OIL & GAS: New Mexico halts some oil and gas lease sales on state land in the Permian Basin while it seeks lawmakers’ approval for increased royalty rates. (Associated Press)

ALSO:

• New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoes a bill that would have exempted over 27,000 low-producing oil and gas wells from state severance taxes. (Source NM)
• A California court blocks Kern County from issuing new drilling permits after finding its oil and gas ordinance violates state environmental law. (Courthouse News)
• Colorado lawmakers continue to push a bill that would phase out new oil and gas development even though it is likely to fail, saying they want to spark debate about fossil fuels. (CPR)
• California awards an economic development organization $3.8 million to support displaced oil and gas workers. (news release)

STORAGE: Advocates say Hawaiian Electric’s plan to slash residential battery program incentives could imperil the state’s energy transition and lead to more power outages. (Grist)

SOLAR:

• The Biden administration awards a Hawaii electric cooperative $24 million to install battery energy storage systems at existing solar facilities. (Kaua’i Now)
• A southern Arizona electric cooperative secures $83.5 million in federal loans for four proposed solar-plus-storage projects. (Arizona Daily Star)

BIOFUELS:

• A British company’s plan to establish wood pellet manufacturing facilities in California using trees from local forests raise concerns about air pollution and ecosystem impacts. (DeSmog)
• Advocates say a California program allowing dairies to sell carbon credits for producing biofuels from manure incentivizes factory farming and its environmental impacts. (Sierra)

WIND: A California commercial fishing organization files a lawsuit against state agencies and energy companies aimed at blocking proposed offshore wind development. (KSBY)

NUCLEAR: A California startup works to develop a small-scale advanced nuclear reactor in Idaho, partly to power energy-intensive data centers for AI. (NBC News)

TRANSPORTATION:

• Washington state lawmakers advance legislation committing the state to replacing more than 10,000 diesel school buses with electric ones. (Crosscut)
• Arizona lawmakers narrowly vote down legislation that would bar government entities from limiting vehicle miles traveled. (AZ Mirror)
• Los Angeles residents pass a ballot initiative forcing the city to add hundreds of miles of bike and bus lanes. (Los Angeles Times)

POLLUTION: California officials say San Diego County likely will be out of compliance with new U.S. EPA soot pollution rules when the standards take effect. (KPBS)

COAL: Lawmakers in four Western states consider legislation aimed at extending the lives of coal plants scheduled for retirement. (E&E News)

UTILITIES: A New Mexico natural gas utility agrees to decrease and otherwise adjust a proposed rate hike to gain advocates’ support. (NM Political Report)

COMMENTARY:

• A California columnist considers the pros and cons of public power agencies after Warren Buffett questions the financial viability of investor-owned utilities in the West. (Los Angeles Times)
• An Oregon editorial board urges Portland’s leaders to let voters decide whether to spend a clean energy fund’s surplus on climate projects or divert it to cash-strapped city bureaus. (Oregonian)