One element of the BLM’s proposed Public Lands Rule would allow for so-called conservation leasing, which would enable public and private entities to carry out restoration work or compensatory mitigation to offset the impacts of projects. The Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, says that such leases could speed the development of clean energy on public lands, an important prospect given the Biden administration’s ambitious goal of permitting 25 gigawatts of such projects by 2025.

A new analysis from Climate Central shows that summer temperatures have risen steadily across the United States over the last half century, a trend that’s even sharper in the American West. The report chalks up much of the blame to climate change, but a researcher says that in urban areas the built environment can also play a huge role in temperature jumps.