INFRASTRUCTURE: The infrastructure package includes $8 billion to build four “regional clean hydrogen hubs” throughout the U.S., with one powered by renewables, one by nuclear, and one by fossil fuels. (Bloomberg)

ALSO:
• The U.S. Senate is weighing amendments to its bipartisan infrastructure bill, starting by rejecting a measure that would’ve barred funding for building code updates that phased out natural gas. (E&E News)
• Financially struggling U.S. nuclear power plants would get a $6 billion lifeline under the proposed bipartisan infrastructure bill. (Bloomberg)
• The proposed federal infrastructure bill includes $14.6 billion to benefit carbon capture projects and carbon dioxide pipelines in North Dakota’s Bakken region. (Williston Herald)

CLIMATE:
• EPA head Michael Regan names 47 new members to the Scientific Advisory Board he disbanded in March to expel its Trump appointees. (The Hill)
• Hundreds of federal climate and environmental jobs remain unfilled after a mass exodus during the Trump administration, hampering President Biden’s climate efforts. (New York Times)

SOLAR:
• Solar manufacturers Auxin Solar and Suniva ask the Biden administration to extend tariffs on solar materials imported from China, pitting them against project developers who often opt for China’s lower-cost products. (Canary Media)
• A new Illinois law expands protections for homeowners to install solar while facing opposition from homeowners associations. (Energy News Network)

OIL & GAS:
• The Biden administration says it will review the potential climate impacts of several Trump- and Obama-era oil and gas leases on public lands in the Western U.S. (E&E News, subscription)
• Oklahoma natural gas companies bank on the idea that consumers who want cleaner alternative energy sources will buy not just renewables but “responsibly-sourced” natural gas. (The Oklahoman)

TRANSPORTATION: Logistics provider DHL orders 12 electric cargo planes from Seattle-based Eviation, becoming the company’s first customer. (Axios)

UTILITIES:
• A tree falling on a Pacific Gas & Electric power line may have sparked the Fly Fire in northern California, which later merged with the massive Dixie Fire, also ignited by the utility’s equipment. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Activists block the entrance to a Massachusetts environmental agency in protest of Eversource Energy’s proposed electrical substation in an environmental justice community, urging officials to deny the utility’s permit. (Boston Globe)

RENEWABLES:
• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grants $1.6 million to eight offshore wind workforce training programs aimed at helping people of color and low-income people enter the industry. (Energy News Network)
• Nearly 58% of Iowa’s electricity came from renewable sources last year, more than any other state, according to an industry report. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

COAL: Eastern Tennessee officials and environmental groups react to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans to retire two coal-fired plants, one of which was the site of a massive coal ash spill and the other of which has been linked to nearby contamination. (Oak Ridger)

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.