ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Arkansas turns toward electric vehicles as auto manufacturers Envirotech Vehicles and Canoo both announce plans for factories in the state, while the governor looks for more ways to accelerate EV adoption. (Arkansas Business)

ALSO:
• Nissan announces it will expand a Mississippi factory to make electric vehicles even though its residents have fewer EVs registered per capita than any state. (Pine Belt News)
• A state filing shows Tesla plans to renovate a former BMW facility for a Texas service center near the​​ San Antonio International Airport, which might also function as a dealership. (Houston Chronicle)
• The CEO of DeLorean Motor Company discusses the company’s plans to begin manufacturing an electric sports car in San Antonio. (Texas Public Radio) 

WIND: Lawyers for a planned wind farm in western Virginia argue that a dozen property owners behind a lawsuit to stop the project live too far away to have legal standing. (Roanoke Times)

SOLAR:
• An Appalachian nonprofit files comments with North Carolina regulators opposing New River Light and Power’s request to add an $8.95 monthly fee to its solar customers’ bills. (High Country Press)
• A Virginia planning board recommends approval for a 30 MW solar facility. (Northern Virginia Daily)
• A trainer at Entergy Arkansas’ nuclear plant receives an award for his family farm installing a 50 kW solar array. (Arkansas Business)

PIPELINES: Tennessee lawmakers consider legislation that would remove local governments’ abilities to restrict or prohibit pipeline construction. (WTVF)

EMISSIONS: A late January explosion at a Louisiana chemical complex came just months after another explosion five miles away at a facility owned by the same company. (NOLA.com)

POLITICS: Representatives of West Virginia’s coal and oil and gas industries say bills involving nuclear, geothermal and renewable energy have dominated this  legislative session, creating ripple effects for fossil fuels. (State Journal)

NUCLEAR:
• A Tennessee Congress member discusses security and the role of the Oak Ridge nuclear national security facility in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Oak Ridger)
• A 101-year-old Black woman in eastern Tennessee recalls breaking ground in the region’s nuclear industry. (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

CLIMATE: A new study finds communities of color face the greatest increase in emergency room visits for flood-borne illnesses during and after North Carolina hurricanes. (Inside Climate News)

HYDROGEN: A natural gas transportation company looks to blend hydrogen into its pipeline network as a means of decarbonization. (Tulsa World)

COAL: Kentucky will receive $9 million in federal funding to reclaim abandoned mines. (Kentucky Today)

COMMENTARY:
• Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian nuclear plant raises questions about the security of nuclear facilities in eastern Tennessee, writes an opinion editor. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• West Virginia’s power-producing coal industry sees a resurgence amid sanctions on Russian coal and an uptick in energy demand, writes a radio host. (WV Metro News)
• An editorial board calls on President Joe Biden to loosen oil and gas development restrictions for Louisiana LNG producers to meet rising demand amid sanctions on Russia. (The Advocate)

Mason has worked as a journalist since 2001, covering Appalachian communities and the issues that affect them. He compiles the Southeast Energy News digest. Mason previously worked as a wildlife biologist before moving into journalism by freelancing at Coast Weekly in Monterey, California, before taking an internship in 2001 at High Country News. He wrote for the Enterprise Mountaineer in western North Carolina and the Roanoke Times in western Virginia before going freelance in 2012. His work has appeared in Southerly, Daily Yonder, Mother Jones, Huffington Post, WVPB’s Inside Appalachia and elsewhere. Mason was born and raised in Clifton Forge, Virginia, and now lives with his family and a small herd of goats in Floyd County, Virginia.