STORAGE: A National Renewable Energy Lab study concludes that deploying hundreds of gigawatts of battery storage would enable the U.S. to meet demand at all hours without relying on peaker plants. (Utility Dive)

OVERSIGHT:
• Federal pipeline regulators prepare their first restrictions on methane emissions as their role expands beyond monitoring pipelines’ physical safety. (E&E News)
• During a renomination hearing, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says the board plays a limited but important role in mitigating climate change, leaving some Democrats unsatisfied. (Inside Climate News)
• An outside audit ordered by state regulators is unable to determine how $460 million collected from customers of Ohio utility FirstEnergy for grid modernization was spent. (Associated Press)

POLITICS:
• The Biden administration is expected to revive the climate portion of its Build Back Better bill this week after Sen. Joe Manchin expressed openness to the package. (Reuters)
• As Build Back Better Talks stall, federal lawmakers remain hopeful that the final package will include tax incentives to promote geothermal projects. (Politico)
• Environmental advocates in the West say President Biden’s first year has been a “mixed bag” when it comes to climate and energy issues. (High Country News)

GRID: The Biden administration’s emissions reduction goals could triple reliance on the electric grid by 2050, research finds. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Production delays from Rivian and other electric van manufacturers continue to slow Amazon’s pledge to replace its fossil fuel-run delivery fleet. (New York Times)
• Volvo’s electric tractor-trailer trucks, produced at a Virginia factory, feature faster charging and an 85% increase in range from previous models. (CleanTechnica)

COAL:
• A U.S. EPA ruling will force an Illinois municipal utility to stop sending material to its coal ash ponds, including lime from its drinking water treatment plant, as soon as this summer. (Energy News Network)
• NV Energy says it will shut down its last coal power plant by 2025 and replace the lost generation with two new solar installations totaling 600 MW planned for Humboldt County, Nevada. (KVVU)

OIL & GAS:
• A recent spate of earthquakes moves Texas regulators to stop fracking companies from pumping as much water underground, forcing some drillers to move millions of barrels of wastewater elsewhere. (Wall Street Journal)
• In Massachusetts, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey says federal regulators are reconsidering their approval of the Weymouth natural gas compressor station that activists have derided as a climate and community threat. (State House News Service)

SOLAR: Nonprofits partner to bring solar power to 300 Navajo Nation off-grid homes. (Denver Channel)

BIOGAS: The U.S. EPA announces an investigation of whether North Carolina regulators violated the rights of low-income and minority residents living near farms where it approved plans to capture gas from hog waste. (Bladen Journal)

COMMENTARY: Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger argues the state utility commission’s proposed changes to rooftop solar incentives will discourage new installations and must be stopped. (New York Times)

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.