Indigenous community withdraws opposition to Willow project

OIL & GAS: The Alaska Indigenous community closest to the Willow drilling project withdraws its opposition to the development on the condition that ConocoPhillips protects subsistence resources. (Northern Journal)

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ALSO:

• A New Mexico lawmaker proposes bills that would tighten oil and gas wastewater disposal regulations, seek more transparency from drillers and limit development near schools. (Source NM)
• The public comment period on a Biden administration plan to withdraw 224,173 acres in western Colorado from oil and gas leasing ends next week. (Aspen Times)

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CLIMATE:

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes cutting $2.9 billion in climate-related spending from next year’s budget and delaying $600 million in funding for electric vehicle equity programs. (Los Angeles Times)
• Researchers find human-caused climate change has diminished Southwest snow levels by as much as 10% annually in recent decades, threatening water supplies and hydropower generation. (Los Angeles Times)

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URANIUM: The Havasupai Tribe and Arizona advocates oppose the Pinyon Plain uranium mine’s reopening near the Grand Canyon, saying it could contaminate groundwater. (Arizona Republic)

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SOLAR:

• Washington state lawmakers introduce bills aimed at expanding underserved residents’ access to community solar. (PV Magazine)
• New Mexico lawmakers propose legislation that would allocate $110 million to build solar projects on public buildings. (KRQE)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on a proposed 400 MW solar installation in eastern Nevada. (Renewables Now)

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CLEAN ENERGY: A Wyoming county seeks public comment on two utility-scale solar and wind projects proposed for private land. (Douglas Budget)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Portland, Oregon’s city council plans to use $1.7 million in federal funding to fill gaps in the public electric vehicle charging network. (Portland Mercury)
• New Mexico lawmakers representing oil and gas producing regions introduce a bill that would rescind a state rule aimed at boosting electric vehicle sales. (Roswell Daily Record)

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HYDROGEN:

• The Biden administration awards California and Colorado $28 million to build hydrogen fueling stations for big trucks. (E&E News)
• A California lawmaker proposes aligning state hydrogen rules with the Biden administration’s tax credit guidance to limit the sources of energy that can be used to produce the fuel. (E&E News, subscription)

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GRID: Storms batter Hawaii utility lines and generators, leading to power shortages and outages. (KHON)

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COMMENTARY: A California advocate urges the state to incentivize rooftop solar to offset net metering cuts, saying it would solve distributed generation’s equity problem while lowering utility bills and fighting climate change. (Los Angeles Times)

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