POLITICS: The Biden administration can resume using a higher social cost of carbon in decisions after an appeals court rejected an earlier ruling that preserved a lower figure adopted by the Trump administration. (Politico)

ALSO: Sen. Joe Manchin’s blockade of Federal Reserve oversight nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin raises questions of whether President Biden can get any candidate confirmed who takes the climate crisis seriously. (E&E News)

EMISSIONS: The EPA has blocked illegal hydrofluorocarbon imports totaling 530,000 metric tons of carbon emissions so far this year after cracking down on the practice earlier this year. (Inside Climate News)

OIL & GAS:
• The Biden administration says it will expand liquified natural gas exports to aid European countries reliant on Russian gas. (The Hill)
• Congressional committees call on oil executives to testify regarding rising oil and gasoline prices, with one House leader accusing the industry of “taking advantage of the crisis for its own benefit.” (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The EPA’s clean trucks proposal and predictions favoring heavy truck electrification help fuel the industry, but challenges remain. (Canary Media)
• The Biden administration increases spending on U.S. mineral production to build electric vehicle components, to the disappointment of some environmentalists. (Washington Post)
• A new report spotlights the growth of the Southeast’s electric vehicle industry, which is far outpacing overall vehicle sales throughout the country. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

UTILITIES:
• The nation’s highest paid federal employee is the president and CEO of Tennessee Valley Authority, who makes nearly $10 million while leading a utility that still gets huge chunks of its power generation from coal and methane. (New Republic)
• Duke Energy and Dominion Energy ramp up emission reduction goals to include some upstream producers, some downstream customers and power they use but don’t produce. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR: Indigenous and environmental advocates call for heightened regulation or closure of a Utah uranium mill that has accepted 700 million pounds of hazardous waste in the last three decades. (The Hill)

GRID: Two renewable energy trade groups file a complaint with federal regulators arguing ISO New England market rules favor some gas-fired facilities. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR: Virginia regulators approve 15 Dominion Energy solar projects that represent nearly 1,000 MW of total power, including a 100 MW facility at Dulles Airport. (Associated Press)

CRYPTOCURRENCY: Texas electric cooperatives field proposals to build Bitcoin mines with high energy needs that threaten to drive up bills for consumers. (Bloomberg)

OFFSHORE WIND: New Jersey utility and environmental protection officials will study how offshore wind farms impact various marine creatures, as well as enter into a regional wildlife research effort. (Associated Press)

COAL: A newly launched research venture will investigate whether Southwest Virginia’s waste coal can be turned into raw materials for electric vehicle batteries and other high-tech products. (Cardinal News)

CLIMATE: A Chicago educator helps lead a program that provides elementary schoolers from BIPOC and disinvested neighborhoods hands-on interactions with nature and lessons about sustainability and climate change. (Energy News Network)

BIOFUEL: Washington state lawmakers pass a bill requiring landfill operators to capture methane and either flare it off or convert it to fuel. (Crosscut)

Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.