Biden raises federal oil and gas royalties and reclamation bonds

OIL & GAS: The Biden administration finalizes rules raising royalty rates and reclamation bond amounts for oil and gas drilling on federal land, drawing mixed reactions from industry and advocates. (High Country News)

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ALSO: Arguments begin in New Mexico advocates’ lawsuit accusing the state’s fossil fuel-friendly policies of failing to protect residents from oil and gas pollution. (NM Political Report)

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TRANSITION:

• New Mexico awards coal community entities in the northwestern part of the state $5.9 million to fund energy transition projects, including a microgrid on the Navajo Nation and a city’s solar-plus-storage installation. (NM Political Report)
• The Navajo Nation awards a modular home manufacturer $74 million to expand its facility at a shuttered coal plant in Arizona so it can build affordable housing for tribal members. (Source NM)

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SOLAR:

• California lawmakers introduce bills aimed at mitigating the effects of or revoking recent state policies slashing incentives for rooftop and community solar. (Canary Media)
• California lawmakers advance legislation that would exempt low and middle-income homeowners from codes requiring solar on homes being rebuilt after a wildfire or other natural disaster. (KQED)
• A Utah developer proposes a $1.2 billion solar installation and clean energy campus on 30,000 acres in central Arizona. (Phoenix Business Journal, subscription)
• Some Idaho residents push back on a proposed solar installation in the eastern part of the state, saying it would tarnish the area’s rural character. (KIVI)

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UTILITIES:

• A Hawaiian Electric shareholder sues the utility over its alleged role in sparking last year’s deadly Maui blazes, saying it damaged the company’s reputation and stock value. (E&E News, subscription)
• Wyoming regulators deny Rocky Mountain Power’s request to relitigate its proposed rate hike that was rejected in December. (WyoFile)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A California startup trains workers and develops software aimed at facilitating public electric vehicle charger maintenance and repair. (Los Angeles Times)

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ELECTRIFICATION: Colorado launches an online calculator aimed at helping residents navigate home electrification incentives. (CPR)

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TRANSPORTATION:

• Some Colorado Democratic lawmakers push back on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s proposal to overhaul the Denver-area public transit agency’s board, saying it could diminish public representation. (CPR)
• The Biden administration awards Phoenix $1.2 million for transit-oriented development along light-rail lines. (news release)

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NUCLEAR: Federal regulators deny a developer’s claims they had greenlit a proposed nuclear microreactor project in Montana. (Billings Gazette)

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COAL: Investors look to use coal from a Wyoming mine as feedstock for manufacturing cosmetics and fertilizer, as well as other non-combustion applications. (Cowboy State Daily)

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