GRID: The U.S. Senate energy committee begins hearings on grid resilience in response to the Texas energy crisis. (S&P Global)

ALSO:
• Two Oregon senators introduce a bill that would create a $10 billion annual program to protect power lines from extreme weather. (The Hill)
• “I don’t think anyone should be getting smug about this”: Experts note grid vulnerability is a concern everywhere, not just Texas. (Vox)

CLIMATE: Climate advocates and industry executives say building and home investments, including grid weatherization and building efficiency upgrades, should be emphasized in upcoming infrastructure legislation. (Bloomberg)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• A proposal for a national clean energy standard is gaining support from both parties. (S&P Global)
• Senate Democrats are reshaping a 2-year-old clean energy tax reform package, likely focusing on technology-neutral incentives instead of specifically targeting wind and solar. (Utility Dive)
• Wisconsin regulators open an investigation into how the state can meet long-term goals of maintaining affordability and reliability as it transitions to clean energy. (Wisconsin State Journal)

PUBLIC LANDS: Deb Haaland gains additional Republican support in a cloture vote to advance her nomination to lead the Interior Department. (HuffPost)

ELECTRIC CARS:
• GM’s president calls 2021 “the tipping point toward EVs” and urges the federal government to extend tax credits to manufacturing and supply chains. (Reuters)
• Honda announces plans to sell two fully electric SUV models in the U.S. by 2024. (Associated Press)
• Postmaster General Louis DeJoy tells a House committee that the Postal Service is “very, very excited” about having a fully electric fleet, despite a recent contract for mostly gasoline-powered vehicles. (Bloomberg)
• A new report says New Jersey schools could offset the high upfront costs of electric school buses by selling power back to the grid at peak times when they are idle. (NJ Spotlight)

SOLAR: Some Maine legislators, including Democratic supporters of solar, worry that state incentives have become too generous as opponents seek to reverse some policies. (Portland Press Herald)

NUCLEAR: None of the Northeast and Midwest’s 16 nuclear power plants covered their operating costs last year, but still aren’t headed for retirement, an independent energy monitor’s report indicates. (E&E News, subscription)

COAL: The U.S. Department of Justice seeks $3.2 million from coal companies owned by the family of West Virginia’s governor due to violations of a 2016 agreement and of the Clean Water Act. (Associated Press)

OIL & GAS:
• As the Biden administration seeks to cut emissions, the oil and gas industry will likely prove a tougher obstacle than the coal industry. (Associated Press)
• A California county’s push to expand drilling in spite of state climate goals reflects the larger issues facing communities dependent on fossil fuels. (The Guardian)

PIPELINES: A federal court throws out North Carolina regulators’ rejection of a 75-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline extension, pushing them to further explain their reasoning for denying a conditional permit. (Roanoke Times)

MEDIA: An analysis finds that TV news climate coverage in 2020 featured mostly white men, with people of color comprising only 8% of experts interviewed, and women only 28%. (Grist)

COMMENTARY:
• “Even the most ambitious climate campaign will fall short” without a carbon capture and sequestration plan, an investment banker writes. (Energy News Network)
• A consumer advocate says the fossil fuel industry’s claims that President Biden’s energy plans will cause significant economic damage in Western states are driven by poor research. (InsideSources)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.