GRID: Experts say eminent domain, long an important tool to the fossil fuel industry, may become a “vital ally” to climate activists as reimagining the grid will demand new ways of transporting electricity. (Grist)

ALSO:
• Transmission advocates identify 22 high-voltage power line projects they say could support a 50% boost in wind and solar generation as President Biden prepares to unveil a plan to build power lines along federal highways. (E&E News, subscription; news release)
• Burying high voltage transmission lines along highways and railroads could unlock U.S. renewable energy potential, though significant challenges remain. (Canary Media)

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CLEAN ENERGY:
• The White House is pushing Congress to pass a bill requiring an 80% clean power grid by 2030 — a milestone on the path to zero-emissions generation by 2035 that could be approved without Republican support. (Reuters)
• More than 150 environmental groups sign on to a letter urging President Biden and congressional leaders to adopt a clean electricity standard that ensures carbon-free generation by 2035. (Axios)

EMISSIONS:
• The EPA announces it will restore California’s authority to set stricter climate requirements for cars and SUVs following the Transportation Department’s easing of Trump-era limits on state-level pollution rules. (Washington Post)
• New data show the Appalachian Basin emits more methane than any other region in the country. (Natural Gas Intelligence)

TRANSITION: The $38 billion the Biden administration identified for coal community revitalization isn’t a big enough sum, analysts say, as more than just miners would lose their jobs in the transition. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Duke Energy’s efforts to expand a popular energy-efficiency program across North Carolina attract stiff opposition from gas distributors — including one of its own subsidiaries — that say the program will cost them customers. (Energy News Network)

OIL & GAS:
• A federal judge orders the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide an update by Monday on its timeline for completing an environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline and whether it recommends shutting it down during that review. (Reuters)
• The CEO of Texas’ largest power producer cites natural gas as the primary cause of a projected $1.6 billion financial hit from February’s winter storm. (E&E News, subscription)
• An activist investment firm accuses Exxon of “distorting its long-term emissions trajectory” in an attempt to make its future seem more stable. (Bloomberg)

SOLAR: A Florida Democratic congressmember says a new bill to expand community solar projects and energy accessibility will create 2 million jobs. (Florida Daily)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The first electric vehicle charging stations under a 2020 “right to charge” law in Virginia are beginning to pop up in the parking garages of condos, housing co-ops and other communities. (Energy News Network)

OFFSHORE WIND: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says scaling up offshore wind energy production in the Gulf of Maine can help power the region without hurting fisheries. (New Hampshire Public Radio)

POLITICS:
• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the Biden administration will consider enacting pieces of its clean-energy focused infrastructure bill through executive order if necessary. (The Hill)
• Energy powerhouses Florida and Texas, as well as coal-heavy Montana, gain congressional seats after the 2020 U.S. Census, while five Great Lakes states, along with California and West Virginia, each lose a spot. (CNBC; E&E News, subscription)

COMMENTARY:
• An advocate for grid modernization suggests 10 steps President Biden can take beyond pushing for more solar and wind to achieve his promised emissions cuts. (Utility Dive)
• President Biden’s pledge to cut emissions at least in half by 2030 is “suitably ambitious,” an editorial board writes, and its time frame is “short enough to spur actions immediately.” (Bloomberg)

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Kathryn Krawczyk

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.