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In recent years, averaging operators on Lie algebras (also called embedding tensors in the physics literature) and associated tensor hierarchies have formed an efficient tool for constructing supergravity and higher gauge theories. A Lie algebra with an averaging operator is called an averaging Lie algebra. In the present paper, we introduce 2-term averaging L ∞ -algebras and give characterizations of some particular classes of such homotopy algebras. Next, we study non-abelian extensions of an averaging Lie algebra by another averaging Lie algebra. We define the second non-abelian cohomology group to classify the equivalence classes of such non-abelian extensions. Next, given a non-abelian extension of averaging Lie algebras, we show that the obstruction for a pair of averaging Lie algebra automorphisms to be inducible can be seen as the image of a suitable Wells map. Finally, we discuss the Wells short exact sequence in the above context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]