JOBS: The U.S. added wind energy, electric vehicle, and battery storage jobs in 2020 as other energy sectors saw employment decline during the pandemic, according to a revived Energy Department employment survey. (E&E News)

POLITICS:
• President Biden scrambles to shore up support for an infrastructure package after some previously supportive Republicans push back against a plan to fund it via tax enforcement. (Washington Post)
• Two Democratic Congress members unveil legislation to tax highly polluting imports, including coal and natural gas, which could be used to fund the party’s infrastructure package. (New York Times)
• Senate swing voter and energy committee chair Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who could take a lead role in developing a clean energy standard, had more fossil fuel investments than any other senator as of late 2019. (E&E News; Guardian)

CARBON CAPTURE: Hundreds of climate groups urge the Biden administration and Congress to leave carbon capture funding out of their upcoming infrastructure packages. (Inside Climate News)

UTILITIES:
• Pacific Gas & Electric officials say the utility’s equipment may have sparked the Dixie Fire, which as of Monday had burned through more than 30,000 acres in northern California near the site of the deadly Camp Fire, sparked by PG&E equipment in 2018. (Los Angeles Times)
• Maine’s legislature fails to secure enough votes to override the governor’s recent veto of a consumer takeover of the state’s biggest electric utilities. (Maine Public)

RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• An appeal by two condo owners challenging a Lake Erie offshore wind project has a narrow path to success at the Ohio Supreme Court after state regulators signed off on the project. (Energy News Network)
• A Connecticut solar developer sues the federal government over its approval of the Vineyard Wind offshore project, citing hurricane resistance and endangered species protection concerns. (Reuters)

GRID: Federal regulators announce plans to develop reforms for a transmission construction process that has stalled large projects. (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: A new report shows the 22 counties in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania that produce 90% of Appalachian natural gas trailed the nation in economic prosperity between 2008 and 2019, with very little industry revenue actually making it back into local economies. (news release)

COAL:
• Oklahoma sues the U.S. Interior Department over its plans to strip the state of its jurisdiction to regulate surface coal mining within the Muscogee Nation reservation after a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision. (Associated Press)
• Researchers use a federal grant to determine if minerals for making solar panels, wind turbines and other projects can be extracted from the waste byproducts of Appalachian coal mining. (Daily Yonder)

NUCLEAR: Two Republican U.S. senators co-sponsor a federal bill seeking to bring projects like a forthcoming Wyoming reactor to other states. (Oil City News)

COMMENTARY:
• Congress’ infrastructure bill needs to focus on building low-emissions buildings that can sustain the effects of climate change, the head of the U.S. Green Building Council writes. (Canary Media)
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a chance to respect tribal rights by closely considering the effects of a massive Dominion Energy transmission line, writes a river conservationist. (Washington Post)

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.