CLIMATE: President Biden visits areas of New York and New Jersey hard hit by Hurricane Ida, saying the world is in a climate change “code red” and that the bipartisan infrastructure deal will address this “existential threat.” (New York Times)

ALSO:
• Democrats on a U.S. House committee want to include $3.6 billion in climate change and weather research funding in the party’s reconciliation bill. (The Hill)
• The potential recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom next week could significantly curb the state’s aggressive climate policies with nationwide implications. (New York Times)
• A Chicago scholar recently hired into Loyola University’s School of Environmental Sustainability hopes his new position will help advance climate research into public policy action. (Energy News Network)
• A University of Michigan environmental justice researcher says the global climate crisis has been caused by a gradual breakdown in relationships, and to solve the problem those relationships must be fixed first. (Grist)

GRID:
• Warning that “climate change is upon us,” congressional Democrats say the grid disruptions from Hurricane Ida highlight the need for a massive infrastructure overhaul, while experts say utilities need to be forward-looking rather than reactive in their planning. (Associated Press, E&E News)
• Few of PSE&G’s substations flooded when remnants of Hurricane Ida hit New Jersey last week, a success the utility says stems from its work to raise, rebuild, or eliminate over two dozen substations in recent years. (NJ Spotlight)

OIL & GAS:
• Experts say a spill off the Louisiana coast highlights the risks from more than 18,000 miles of abandoned pipelines in the region: “it’s all kind of a ticking time bomb.” (Bloomberg)
• More than 100 oil and gas industry groups, local chambers of commerce and others sign on to a letter asking the U.S. Senate to further regulate the industry rather than tax methane emissions. (Bloomberg)

OVERSIGHT: Former FERC regulator Neil Chatterjee says he regrets his partisanship in the early days of his time on the board and suggests his support of carbon pricing led to his demotion under former President Trump. (The Hill)

TRANSPORTATION: A U.S. House member introduces a bill that would grant tax credits to zero-emission commercial vehicles, and will likely be part of a package of larger electric vehicle incentives. (The Hill)

STORAGE: California’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, the world’s largest, was knocked offline this past weekend when batteries overheated. (PV Magazine)  

HYDROGEN: The U.S. Energy Department has decided to focus on cutting the cost of hydrogen with its first “moonshot” program, but debate continues over whether fossil fuel-produced hydrogen should be a focus. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR: A research project in Iowa seeks to create a business model for monetizing carbon sequestration at solar project sites by incorporating crops that store significant carbon underground. (Energy News Network)

BUILDINGS: Lawmakers who devised Massachusetts’ landmark climate bill fear the state won’t meet its ambitious home heating decarbonization target and discuss more stringent measures that could help meet the goal. (Boston Globe)

COMMENTARY: A columnist argues Democrats’ reconciliation bill is the wrong way to push forward a clean electricity payment program and questions whether it’s actually a technology-neutral policy. (Forbes)

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.