Week of October 26, 2026

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $237 million funding opportunity to strengthen supply chains for critical electric grid components, saying the investment is expected to deliver an estimated $125 million in annual utility savings.

Up to $50 million will go to projects that promote greater refurbishment and reuse of existing grid equipment and materials. Up to $187 million will go to projects that increase the use of alternative materials and subcomponents sourced and made in the U.S., DOE said. The department said the investment is also expected to keep an estimated $50 million per year in the U.S. economy that would otherwise go to foreign suppliers.

The Grid Supply Chain Alternatives to Lead Energy Dominance (Grid SCALED) opportunity is the first under DOE's Grid Supply Chain Program, which is authorized to provide up to $375 million. Applicants must submit a concept paper by Nov 20, 2026, to qualify to submit a full application, and full applications are due by Feb 8, 2027.

LONDON, Oct 30 — The UK government on Oct 30 approved Sea Link, a 2 GW undersea power connection between Suffolk and Kent developed by National Grid, saying it would help move power from where it is generated to where it is needed.

The link, which runs primarily offshore, will be capable of carrying enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2 million homes, the government said. It said easing pressure on the grid will help reduce the need to pay generators to switch off when the network cannot carry their electricity.

Under a government community benefits scheme delivered by National Grid, community funds in Kent and Suffolk will each receive over $1.34 million (1 million pounds sterling). The government said the money could support local priorities such as improving community facilities, enhancing green spaces and developing local skills. "By rewiring Britain we get homegrown power to where it’s needed, we make sure the grid is resilient for the future and we bring bills down for good," Energy Minister Michael Shanks said.

BRASILIA, Oct 30 — Celeo Redes Brasil S.A. won Lot 8 of Transmission Auction No. 4/2026, held by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) on Oct 30, with a bid of $12.3 million (66,664,542.00 reais), an average discount of 48.02%, ANEEL said.

The discount is measured against the initial Permitted Annual Revenue (RAP) of $23.6 million (128.2 million reais) set by the agency. The RAP is the revenue the company will be entitled to for providing transmission service once the facilities enter commercial operation. Estimated investment in the lot is $139 million (753.2 million reais), according to ANEEL.

Lot 8 requires the installation of three synchronous compensators at the Porto Velho Collector Substation in the capital of Rondônia. The agency said the project aims to ensure reliable operation of the transmission system in Acre and Rondônia in response to climate change. The works are due to be completed within 42 months and are estimated to create 2,151 jobs.

PJM filed an amended proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) aiming to begin a Reliability Backstop Procurement on March 1, 2027, changing cost allocation, credit requirements and exit responsibilities for load-serving entities (LSEs), according to PJM.

The procurement is intended to fill the approximately 6,800 MW generating capacity shortfall from PJM's 2028/2029 Base Residual Auction and to allocate the costs for that new capacity to the Large Loads driving them, PJM said. The shortfall will be recalculated with updated information given the new timeline. The procurement still aims to secure resources for up to 15 years with a maximum willingness to pay equal to a MW-weighted average of $555/MW-day.

Under the proposed timeline, the bid window would close March 28, with the final procurement target and supply amounts determined on April 28 and results posted on May 10. FERC largely accepted PJM's initial proposal on Sept 29 but suspended its execution for five months to settle certain topics, according to PJM.

BEIJING, Oct 16 — China's National Energy Administration (NEA) and three other agencies issued guidance on Oct 16 to promote innovation in gas turbines, aiming by 2030 for domestic capacity to develop and manufacture complete units and key components.

By 2030, the guidance, document No. 86 of 2026, aims for a self-controlled industrial chain spanning research and development, manufacturing, verification and maintenance. It also aims to basically meet domestic needs for gas turbines for distributed energy and offshore oil and gas platforms, and for long-distance oil and gas pipeline compressors, and for phased results from pilot use of heavy-duty gas turbines in power generation.

The guidance calls for work on green hydrogen, ammonia and alcohol fuels, support for first-of-their-kind domestic units, and relatively stable natural gas prices for pilot projects using domestic gas turbines. State-owned enterprises that lead domestic gas turbine projects for demonstration and commercial roll-out may depart, as appropriate, from minimum rate-of-return requirements for investment decisions. Co-issuers are the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and the State Administration for Market Regulation.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 29 — The board of Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) on Oct 29 approved holding a public consultation and a public hearing on a proposed regulation for the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Program (ProBioQAV), the agency said.

ANP said the proposed regulation seeks to set rules for carrying out the program within the agency's remit. The agency said the rules would give economic agents predictability and support the development of an aviation fuel chain aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It called the step part of building the regulatory framework for the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market.

The consultation will gather contributions from producers, importers, distributors, air operators, certification bodies, research institutions and other interested parties, according to ANP. The agency's technical staff will analyze the suggestions, which may be used to improve the proposal before a decision on the final text. ANP said the draft resolution, supporting documents, deadlines and participation guidelines will be posted on the public consultations and hearings page of its website.

SAO PAULO — Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) said all 1.1 million cubic meters per day of federal government natural gas offered to base industry were sold on Thursday, Oct 22, in the first Union Natural Gas Auction, run by Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA).

According to the ministry, 23 companies in the chemical, petrochemical, ceramics, steel, metallurgy, mining, glass and fertilizer sectors bought 110 lots, with an average premium 35% above the starting premium. The average premium was $2.44 per MMBtu, and the estimated average price for industry was $5.83 per MMBtu. Compared with about $12 per MMBtu currently paid by industry, the ministry estimated reductions of up to 57%, for nitrogen fertilizers. Bids reached 1.53 million cubic meters per day, 39% above the volume offered.

Under the new policy, at least one auction round a year is planned until 2030. PPSA projects a 2027 auction with an estimated 1.8 million cubic meters per day on offer, the ministry said.

BRASILIA, Oct 29 — Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) on Oct 29 opened a public consultation on a draft normative ordinance setting guidelines for the Electric Power Transmission Grants Plan (POTEE), a proposal that would replace and revoke Ordinance MME No. 215/2020.

The ministry said the proposal aims to make the POTEE process more predictable and transparent, from planning studies to the granting of transmission facilities. The draft creates a permanent public registry of qualified developers. It also formalises the possibility of extraordinary issuances of the plan, in addition to the annual ordinary issuance, with 10 days of prior consultation with concessionaires. Under the draft, the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) would classify equipment and facilities in authorisation and auction decisions.

The draft sets study schedule submissions by Dec. 15, with approval by Jan. 15, and a review of the guidelines within four years. Interested parties have until Nov. 30 to send contributions through the MME's Public Consultations Portal and the Brasil Participativo platform.

NEW DELHI, Oct 29 — Indian companies have signed green hydrogen offtake commitments totalling over 5.5 lakh metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) as of October 2026, India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said, calling them the world's largest such commitments.

In 2026, Indian companies signed 18 new offtake agreements for the supply of over 4 lakh MTPA of green hydrogen equivalent quantity, the ministry said. Since the launch of the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2023, 23 offtake contracts covering about 5.5 lakh MTPA have been signed, out of which over 70% are earmarked for exports, it said.

The ministry said firm and signed commitments reached 5,55,610 MTPA, approximately 11% of the National Green Hydrogen Mission's target. The mission's objective is to produce at least 5 Million Metric Tonnes per Annum of green hydrogen by 2030. The ministry said meeting the agreements would require capital investment exceeding $9.45 billion (90,000 crore rupees) (approximately $9.5 billion). Contracts it listed include ACME Group's agreement to supply 4,88,000 MTPA of green ammonia to IHI of Japan.

FOLSOM, Calif. — The California Independent System Operator (ISO) Board of Governors has approved a proposal for new grid connection procedures for large loads, which the ISO will file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by a Nov 16 deadline.

FERC will then determine whether the proposal satisfies its June "Show Cause" order. That order directed the California ISO, five other regional grid operators and their transmission owners to show they have the rules and processes to let large loads such as data centers and manufacturing operations connect quickly, without compromising reliability or shifting costs to other customers.

A key element of the proposal, a "flexible interim load interconnection," would let large loads connect to the transmission system with enforceable flexibility based on grid conditions until related network upgrades are complete, the ISO said. The proposal also creates a new monthly window for the ISO to review transmission upgrades tied to large loads outside the usual planning cycle. It includes a framework to prevent cost shifting.

SACRAMENTO — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accepted winning bids on 16 parcels in California totaling 33,362 acres from its Oct. 27 geothermal lease sale, for about $3.7 million in total receipts, the agency said.

The BLM may issue leases once review and payment are complete, according to the agency. The combined bonus bids, rentals and subsequent royalties will be distributed between the U.S. Treasury, the state of California, and Modoc, Sonoma, Lake, Mono and Inyo counties, where the leases are located.

The agency said leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal geothermal resources. Before authorizing any surface-disturbing activities, the BLM conducts additional environmental reviews based on applications for exploration or development plans, the agency said. The sale was held online through Efficient Markets.

BILLINGS, Mont. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leased 20 parcels totaling 3,388 acres in Montana and North Dakota for $21,339,550 in total receipts during a quarterly oil and gas lease sale, the agency said.

According to the BLM, combined lease bonus bids and rentals are distributed between the federal government and the state where the parcels are located. The sale was conducted under the Working Families Tax Cut Act. The agency said the act resets the royalty rate for new federal onshore oil and gas production to a minimum of 12.5%, reversing the 16.67% rate set by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The BLM said the lower rate is expected to spur additional leasing and drilling activity. Oil and gas leases are awarded for a term of 10 years and as long thereafter as there is production of oil and gas in paying quantities, the agency said. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources, according to the BLM.

LONDON — Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey will ask Ofgem to deliver the removal of standing charges from household gas bills for around 23 million homes in 2027 or as soon as possible after, the government said ahead of the Budget.

A standing charge is a fixed daily fee added to a household gas bill regardless of how much gas is used. The charges average $144 (108 pounds sterling) a year for the typical household, according to the government. It said these fixed costs would instead be paid on the unit rate, which could save 60% of account-holding households around an average of $60.00 (45 pounds sterling) off their annual bill.

"Gas standing charges are unfair and outdated so I am scrapping them to give millions of households a bit of breathing space," Healey said. The government said it would set out targeted mitigation in due course for a small number of households that do not see an automatic saving.

BEIJING, Oct 14 — The general office of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and a department of the National Energy Administration (NEA) agreed in principle to let the Southern regional power market enter formal operation, according to a reply letter dated Oct 14.

The letter, No. 715 of 2026, is addressed to the NEA's Southern regulatory bureau and China Southern Power Grid Co. It asks them to expand the scope and scale of market trading and to have all power users except guaranteed users trade directly in the market. It also calls for market mechanisms suited to the operating characteristics of new energy and for a high rate of signing and performing medium- and long-term contracts to secure power supply.

The Southern regulatory bureau is to work with other NEA branch offices to strengthen supervision of wholesale trading. It is also to work with local government departments to regulate the retail power market and report major problems to the NDRC and NEA in a timely manner, the letter said.

WASHINGTON — NERC's Board of Trustees adopted foundational computational load Reliability Standards on Oct 26, following an Oct 14 final ballot, and NERC said it will file them with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for approval in the United States.

NERC said the adoption is the first phase of its broader large loads action plan, with additional standards development efforts underway to address computational load performance, planning and reliability studies, and event reporting and model quality. It will also coordinate with applicable government authorities in Canada on next steps, NERC said.

Separately, proposed revisions to NERC's Standard Processes Manual (SPM), intended to make the standards development process more responsive to emerging reliability risks, passed initial ballot on Oct 26, NERC said. "Ensuring the reliability of the bulk power system requires us to address emerging risks while continually improving how we develop the standards that protect it," said Soo Jin Kim, vice president of Standards and Registration.

LONDON — The UK government has launched a Warm Homes Loan Scheme of government-backed no- and low-interest loans for heat pumps, batteries and solar panels, with ten lenders initially offering loans to households in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The government said it worked with lenders to deliver an up-to-5 per cent reduction in interest rates from regular bank or high street loans, with some loans interest free and up to thirty years to repay in some cases. Supported loans range up to $20,000 (15,000 pounds sterling) for solar panels and up to $46,700 (35,000 pounds sterling) for a ground source heat pump. Homeowners can combine a loan with a grant of up to $12,000 (9,000 pounds sterling) through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, according to the factsheet.

"These government-supported loans will help families across the UK upgrade their homes with no upfront costs to make them warmer and cheaper to run," Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said. The government said this is the first part of the scheme's offer, with further lenders and products expected to join as it develops.

BRUSSELS, Oct 26 — The European Commission launched the T-MED Investment Platform on Oct 26 to mobilise large-scale investment in renewable energy and clean technologies across the Mediterranean, backed by up to $5.03 billion (4.5 billion euros) in EU guarantee capacity.

The guarantee capacity is under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) and is intended to help reduce investment risks and attract private capital, the Commission said. The platform aims to support investments in renewable electricity generation, renewable hydrogen, electricity transmission and distribution networks, energy storage, cross-border interconnections and clean technology manufacturing.

Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica presented the platform at a stakeholder event in Brussels with financial institutions, private investors and project promoters. "With the T-MED Investment Platform, we are taking the next step in delivering the Pact for the Mediterranean," Šuica said. By 2035, T-MED aims to mobilise up to $28 billion (25 billion euros) in expected investments in renewable energy production, electricity grids, interconnections and clean technologies, according to the Commission.

BEIJING, Oct 24 — China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued Sanmen Nuclear Power Co a pre-operating-licence inspection report on Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, setting six corrective requirements, five of which must be met before the unit's first fuel loading.

The inspection team, which visited Oct 12 to 16, found the unit's construction-phase quality assurance system was operating normally, according to the report. Of 474 commissioning tests required before first fuel loading, 473 had been completed. Of 424 rooms to be handed over before first fuel loading, 406 had been handed over.

The requirements include sealing holes in radiation zone boundaries, completing fire barrier work and strengthening a weak temporary isolation barrier between units 3 and 4. Another requires measures on Class I and Class II grade 8.8 embedded anchor bolts in the nuclear island for which the standard applied was below design requirements. The company must submit its corrective measures to the regulator and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's East China nuclear and radiation safety supervision station before the operating licence is issued, the report said.

JAKARTA, Oct 26 — Indonesia has changed how it buys crude oil, fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) abroad, replacing tenders between business entities with direct government-to-government (G2G) and government-to-business (G2B) deals under Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 107 of 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said.

Under the regulation, signed by President Prabowo Subianto, the state negotiates directly with supplier countries, procurement is carried out by a government-assigned public service agency (BLU), and Pertamina buys from the BLU, the ministry said. Pertamina may still import directly when national reserves are very thin or when geopolitical disruption hits source countries, in coordination with the BLU.

Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said Pertamina's tenders took a long time, and that in some cases the company lost supply after winning at low prices because supplier countries chose buyers willing to pay more. About 80% of Indonesia's LPG needs are imported from the United States, according to the ministry. Bahlil is scheduled to travel to countries including India and China to secure supply and has been tasked with seeking long-term supply contracts.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will not develop emissions estimates under its 2005 Air Compliance Agreement with animal feeding operations, and its enforcement office will work to end obligations under that agreement.

EPA said data collected from 2005-2007 in the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study are too old and too limited to support reliable methods. The agency said the data reflect barn designs, herd sizes and manure practices that no longer represent how many farms operate today. According to EPA, the actions do not change its implementation of the Clean Air Act.

"Good science requires good data, and these data are too old and too limited to support methods that farms could rely on," EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation Abigale Tardif said. EPA said it will work to notify the approximately 2,600 operations subject to the agreement, which represent nearly 14,000 farms, to the extent possible. It will then terminate the agreement.

NEW DELHI, Oct 30 — Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Oct 30 that construction and demolition activities across the NCR region would be halted from Nov 5 to Nov 20 in a bid to control pollution, while reviewing a new air quality command centre.

The Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) Integrated Command and Control Centre, named PAVAN, integrates more than 30 APIs and data streams, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. These include data from 111 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Delhi-NCR, over 2,300 industries and more than 3,200 active construction sites. Deviations from prescribed norms, statutory directions or agreed compliance requirements trigger alerts and escalation to the concerned agency for necessary action, Yadav said.

"This is a paradigm shift from reacting to pollution to anticipating it, and every implementing agency must now act in real-time on these alerts without delay," Yadav said.

INCHEON — The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board approved 21 projects and $1.97 billion in new climate finance at its 46th meeting, which ended Oct 29 at the fund's Songdo headquarters, the largest total approved at a single GCF Board meeting, the fund said.

The $1.97 billion also included additional financing for an existing facility, according to the GCF. The fund said its approvals in 2026 total $3.3 billion, a new annual record, and that its portfolio now stands at 379 projects and programmes with $22.3 billion in GCF funding.

The Board also accredited 16 new partners, 9 of them Direct Access Entities, which are regional and national entities. It reappointed Executive Director Mafalda Duarte for a second four-year term. Direct Access Entities will manage 34% of the funding approved at the meeting, and five of the projects are the first single-country projects for Algeria, Cameroon, Moldova and Yemen, the GCF said.

LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) filed a lawsuit against Waste Connections and other owners and operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, alleging repeated failures to manage hazardous waste at the site.

The lawsuit alleges violations of multiple sections of the state Hazardous Waste Control Law. It seeks civil penalties, disgorgement, and injunctive and other equitable relief, including an abatement fund, the attorney general's office said.

The office said a subsurface elevated temperature event at the 639-acre landfill in Los Angeles County began in May 2022. It said the event produces millions of gallons of leachate, a contaminated liquid, and that the landfill spilled 8,000 gallons of hazardous leachate on Nov 14, 2025. Stormwater mixed with leachate was released to Castaic Creek on Dec 29 and 30, 2025, according to the office. "Waste Connections has repeatedly, consistently and pervasively failed to lawfully manage hazardous waste at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill," California Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said.

WASHINGTON — President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in Lubbock, Texas, a proposal to revise 2024 oil and natural gas regulations known as OOOOb/c, which EPA said is expected to save $45 billion in costs.

EPA is proposing to rescind the program that certified third-party monitors for "super emitter" leak events. It is also proposing to restore 95% efficient flaring or other control devices as the best system of emission reduction for associated gas, instead of requiring all of it to reach a sales line. The agency is co-proposing two options for separate well site categories, one by production level and one by resource type. EPA estimates the proposal would unleash 210 million additional barrels of oil and 1.41 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

"When owners and operators can produce, America benefits with lower prices," Zeldin said. EPA said it will hold at least a 45-day public comment period, including a public hearing, after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

BEIJING, Oct 24 — China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances, signed by Minister Huang Runqiu on Oct 24 and effective on publication, requiring registration before production or import.

Under the measures, new chemical substances produced or imported at 10 tonnes or more a year require regular registration. Volumes from 1 tonne to less than 10 tonnes require simplified registration, and volumes below 1 tonne require a formal registration. The measures define new chemical substances as those not listed in the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China.

The measures say they focus on new chemical substances that may pose greater risks to the environment and health. Technical review may not exceed 60 days for regular registration and 30 days for simplified and formal registration. The ministry approved the measures at its fourth ministerial meeting of 2026 on Oct 15. The new measures repeal earlier measures of the same name issued as MEE Order No. 12.

SANTIAGO — Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) has notified state-owned ENAP Refinerías S.A. of four charges over its Aconcagua refinery in Concón, two of them preliminarily classified as very serious over the alleged delivery of false and incomplete information.

The SMA said its analysis showed the company manipulated data to simulate compliance with a 98% minimum annual sulfur recovery efficiency between 2023 and 2025, with recalculated efficiencies of 94.1%, 90.5% and 90.2%. It said the company omitted flaring from sulfur dioxide reports and exceeded a limit of 1,145 tons a year, reaching 1,277 tons in 2023 and 1,168 tons in 2024.

If the charges are confirmed, the company faces fines of up to 22,000 annual tax units (UTA), which the SMA said exceeds $19 million. ENAP has 15 business days to present a compliance program and 22 business days to file its defense, according to the SMA. The SMA said it will refer the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Comptroller General.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's State Water Resources Control Board adopted an update to the Bay-Delta Plan that incorporates the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which Governor Gavin Newsom's office said is the first major update to the plan's Sacramento/Delta protections since 1995.

The plan gives water users two pathways to meet their environmental requirements, according to the governor's office. One is the voluntary-agreements pathway, which combines river flow contributions with habitat restoration under binding commitments. The other is a traditional regulatory pathway that focuses primarily on river flows. The office said the administration secured $2.9 billion in funding commitments for the program and that the plan promotes the restoration of more than 27,000 acres of aquatic habitat.

The update now goes to the Office of Administrative Law for approval. After approval, board staff will release a draft implementation methodology within one year and develop implementing regulations within two years. Implementation of the voluntary-agreements pathway will begin no later than Oct 1, 2027.

NEW DELHI, Oct 29 — The Review Committee for Narmada Control Authority (RCNCA) adopted a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) among four states as a one-time settlement of all pending inter-State dues and approved modalities for paying outstanding dues within financial year 2026-27, India's Ministry of Jal Shakti said.

The MoA was signed on July 7, 2026, in New Delhi by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. It covers all pending inter-State dues, claims and financial liabilities, the ministry said. The committee also adopted the opinion of the Attorney General for India (AGI) and approved modalities for payment of outstanding dues of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) Award Projects. The ministry described the adoption as a step towards ending long-term disputes over cost sharing for the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project.

The committee's 15th meeting was held by video conference and chaired by Union Minister of Jal Shakti C. R. Paatil. The chief ministers of the four states took part. Paatil said every effort was being made to resolve inter-State river water issues.

PORTLAND, Oct 28 — The Center for Biological Diversity and allied groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue over the agency's denial of Endangered Species Act protections for fishers in northern California and southwestern Oregon.

In 2022 the groups sued the Service for failing to protect fishers throughout their West Coast range. The agency agreed to issue a new decision but denied protections in 2025, the groups said. In 2020 the Service had granted protections to fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains but nowhere else, according to the groups. Fishers are relatives of martens and wolverines and depend on mature and old-growth forests, the groups said.

"The Service is playing politics rather than following its own science, and the fisher is paying the price," said Deirdre Dlugoleski, an attorney at Defenders of Wildlife's biodiversity law center. The notice was filed on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Environmental Protection Information Center and Cascadia Wildlands.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed a Secretary's Order directing Interior Department bureaus to identify additional lands for livestock grazing and eliminate a backlog of grazing permit renewals, according to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) release.

The order implements President Trump's Executive Order on “Supporting America’s Ranchers,” the release said. It formalizes the Rangeland Health Initiative, requires grazing permits to be renewed for the full 10-year term, directs the reinstatement of suspended grazing allotments and calls for a public, department-wide map of lands available for grazing. According to the release, the national cattle herd is at a 75-year low.

The order sets a 30-day deadline to identify new lands for potential grazing and gives BLM 60 days to present a plan to eliminate its permit renewal backlog, the release said. The order also directs a review of policies that the department said unnecessarily limit ranchers' ability to protect livestock from predators.

BRUSSELS — The European Commission presented an EU Framework for Climate Resilience and a proposed Climate Resilience Law, which it said would strengthen Europe's ability to anticipate, prepare for and manage climate risks.

The Commission said the proposed law provides a common reference trajectory for global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, 2 °C by 2050 and 3 °C by 2100. Member States could use this shared baseline to assess future climate risks. The proposal would also simplify national planning obligations by introducing one single national strategic plan.

The Commission said adapting Europe's infrastructure and economy to future climatic conditions is expected to require investment of around $77.9 billion (70 billion euros) per year. It put estimated economic losses from climate damages from 2022-2025 at approximately $223 billion (200 billion euros). The Commission said it will immediately begin implementing the Framework and will propose an EU strategic plan on climate resilience in 2028.