INFRASTRUCTURE: President Biden announces a $579 billion, bipartisan infrastructure deal that includes spending for electric vehicles and public transit but omits major climate provisions. (New York Times)
ALSO: Biden says he will only sign the infrastructure bill if Congress also passes a reconciliation bill that includes more spending on Democratic priorities including clean energy and climate measures. (The Hill)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Several electric vehicle charging companies agree to allow any drivers to use their stations regardless of which networks they’re signed up with in a step toward getting “the EV experience to match the gas station experience.” (Axios)
• Federal researchers say vehicle charging infrastructure, battery quality and cultural acceptance will play larger roles than government subsidies in consumers’ decision to purchase an electric vehicle. (E&E News, subscription)
• The transit authority of Washington, D.C., decides to shift its entire bus fleet to zero-emissions vehicles by 2045. (The Washington Post)
GRID:
• A San Antonio committee blames February’s winter storm outages on the Texas power market’s regulatory structure, while another study finds natural gas was responsible for two-thirds of the energy deficit and solar outperformed projections. (San Antonio Report, Vice)
• U.S. House members vote to reauthorize a program that helps states protect energy infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. (Utility Dive)
OIL & GAS:
• The Biden administration indicates it will keep defending Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota despite its cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and protests from environmentalists and Indigenous groups. (Star Tribune)
• A new analysis by a public lands advocacy group tallies more than 30,000 abandoned oil and gas wells within 30 miles of national parks. (E&E News, subscription)
• A significant increase in oil production from tribal lands complicates the Biden administration’s efforts to fight climate change. (Associated Press)
• The bipartisan infrastructure deal calls for a $6 billion sale from the U.S. emergency oil reserve held on the Texas and Louisiana coasts. (Reuters)
EFFICIENCY: As commercial property owners invest in air quality technology to combat COVID-19 and other viruses, energy conservation experts recommend pairing them with efficiency upgrades to offset added energy use. (Energy News Network)
EMISSIONS:
• A Democrat and a Republican reintroduce a U.S. House bill to cut the electric sector’s emissions 80% by 2050, which falls far short of Biden’s goal of a complete decarbonization by 2035. (The Hill)
• The U.S. Senate passes a bill to establish a USDA process for farmers and forest landowners to enter the carbon credit markets. (Farm Progress)
COAL: West Virginia lawmakers pass a resolution asking the federal government to send $8 billion to reclaim forfeited mine sites and support struggling coal communities. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
OFFSHORE WIND: Another U.S. senator will co-sponsor a bill seeking to ensure states adjacent to new offshore wind development receive some of the money from lease sales. (New Hampshire Public Radio)
COMMENTARY: A consultant urges utilities to consider using satellites to monitor their assets and aid restoration efforts after storms. (Utility Dive)