Tag: oil and gas

The Trump administration has formally repealed the Biden-era Public Lands Rule, ending a policy that required conservation to be weighed equally with drilling, mining and grazing on federal lands. Environmental groups warn the move could accelerate industrial development across millions of acres in the American West.

A rushed BLM review of Chaco’s drilling buffer sparks backlash, with tribes and lawmakers warning of risks to sacred lands and consultation.

Tribal land-return efforts are accelerating across the West, but in northwestern New Mexico the debate is colliding with the energy economy. A federal buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park is now at the center of legal and political fights that could affect future leasing activity and the royalty checks some local residents depend on.

Banks and investors are still uneven in how they address methane in transition plans, with limited sector-specific target-setting tied to financed emissions. Meanwhile, New Mexico lawmakers rejected legislation that would have codified statewide emissions caps, affecting regulatory clarity for energy-sector investment decisions.