OIL & GAS: A judge invalidated the U.S.’s largest oil and gas leasing sale ever last week over climate concerns, raising questions about the future of drilling on public lands and giving the Biden administration an opportunity for a reset on climate policy. (Reuters, Associated Press)

ALSO:
• The judge’s decision follows a trend of courts requiring the government to more fully study climate effects before approving fossil fuel development. (New York Times)
• California officials explore ways to help more than 100,000 fossil fuel industry workers who will likely lose their jobs as the state phases out oil and gas drilling and gasoline-powered vehicles. (E&E News)
• Connecticut climate and consumer advocates want the state to end a gas heat conversion incentive program for homeowners early because it fails to benefit ratepayers and may strand assets. (Energy News Network)

POLITICS: As Congress returns to session, a progressive leader is focused on pushing a climate-only reconciliation bill. (E&E News)

GRID:
• Energy experts say the U.S. Department of Energy’s forthcoming transmission upgrade plan should focus on linking the Eastern and Western Interconnections to facilitate integrating renewables into the grid. (S&P Global)
• Studies find climate change-exacerbated heat and drought will increase power demand and deplete hydropower capacity on the Western grid, leading to outages and electricity price spikes. (E&E News)
• Federal regulators propose new security requirements for electric facilities. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY: An economic development partnership between U.S. and Canadian entities has created a platform for investing in clean energy projects in the Great Lakes region with 40 projects included so far. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors looks poised to stop producing its Chevrolet Bolt, or to at least change the car’s name, after announcing other models will be made at the plant that currently makes the vehicle. (CNN, Bloomberg)

EMISSIONS: A new report finds Texas regulators often shut down air monitoring equipment before storms and therefore miss pollution emitted from refineries and chemical plants in the wake of  severe weather, when emissions often spike. (Texas Tribune)

WIND: A new report finds that building two offshore wind farms near the Gulf Coast could create between 7,300 and 14,700 jobs during construction and 2,800 permanent operations and maintenance positions. (NOLA.com)

CLIMATE: The attorneys general of Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania push federal regulators to develop workplace safety standards around climate change-induced extreme heat. (Brooklyn Eagle, news release)

COMMENTARY:
• A predicted $275 trillion price tag on a global energy transition is actually a bargain packed with opportunity, a columnist says. (Bloomberg)
• A landlord and energy expert discusses upgrading his duplex’s electric system to include electric vehicle charging, and how incentives could encourage other landlords to do the same. (Canary Media)
• Former Bush and Obama administration officials call on President Biden to use the ocean to fight climate change by building out offshore renewables and reducing shipping emissions. (Politico)

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.