CLEAN ENERGY: The U.S. is already halfway to a zero-carbon electricity grid, a study suggests, as actual electricity sector emissions in 2020 were 52% lower than what experts in 2005 predicted they would be. (Bloomberg)

ALSO:
• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm suggests Democrats develop a clean electricity standard that could be passed with the filibuster-proof reconciliation process, though it would depend on unanimous party support. (Axios)
• Private equity invested a record $23.7 billion in U.S. renewables in 2020, as well as more than $11 billion in other clean tech applications. (Axios)

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PIPELINES:
• Canadian officials tell the Biden administration that the Line 5 pipeline in Michigan is “nonnegotiable” as tensions mount over the project’s future. (Bloomberg)
• U.S. House Republicans warn that the Biden administration’s opposition to Keystone XL could have negative implications for other pipeline projects under scrutiny, including Line 5. (E&E News, subscription)

INFRASTRUCTURE:
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasizes the importance of broadening EV accessibility and also ensuring “people have alternatives to bringing two tons of metal along with them everywhere they go.” (Grist)
• The White House does not plan to raise the federal gas tax as part of its infrastructure package, Press Secretary Jen Psaki says, despite a report suggesting otherwise. (The Hill)

CLIMATE:
• Climate envoy John Kerry says the U.S. won’t compromise on human rights when making emissions reductions agreements with China and emphasizes “accountability” ahead of a visit to the country. (Wall Street Journal)
• The Biden administration says it’s close to securing increased emissions reductions pledges from Japan, South Korea, and Canada. (New York Times)

OIL & GAS:
• Oil executives, utilities and other big companies are meeting with U.S. senators to push them toward pricing carbon. (E&E News, subscription)
• A U.S. appeals court upholds a lower court’s decision preserving the Obama administration’s ban on oil and gas drilling in parts of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. (The Hill)
• The EPA is asking a Virgin Islands oil refinery for information regarding a February flaring incident that showered oil on surrounding residents and contaminated their water supply. (Inside Climate News)
• A proposed California bill that would have banned fracking and eliminated other forms of oil extraction fails to pass a state senate committee, though the committee advanced three other oil industry-focused measures. (Los Angeles Times, Desert Sun)

OFFSHORE WIND:
• Chevron makes its first investment in offshore wind, putting an undisclosed amount of money into the commercialization of floating wind turbine technology. (Forbes)
• Ørsted and PSEG intend to interconnect their 1.1 GW Ocean Wind project to the grid at decommissioned nuclear and coal plants along New Jersey’s southern coast. (NJ.com)

UTILITIES: Oklahoma lawmakers plan to propose issuing bonds for more than $4.5 billion in electricity costs from February’s storm, even as the question of who pays in Texas plays out in courts and in the state legislature. (CNHI/Claremore Daily Progress, Washington Post)

GRID:
• A top grid security official warns of “unprecedented” new cyberthreats from foreign countries that could temporarily disrupt critical infrastructure, including the electricity grid. (E&E News, subscription)
• Texas’ grid manager issued an electricity conservation watch despite normal spring weather, blaming a combination of capacity taken offline for maintenance and a stalled weather front and sparking larger concerns about energy demand through the summer. (Associated Press; E&E News, subscription)
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Richard Glick says if PJM Interconnection stakeholders cannot revise the minimum offer price rule themselves before their December capacity auction. (Utility Dive)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The president of a multigenerational family-owned Virginia car dealership greets the state’s sweeping new law to encourage electric vehicles as a “great first step” toward fighting climate change. (Energy News Network)
• A highly valued battery startup promises its breakthrough could extend electric vehicle ranges up to 50% over lithium-ion technology but hasn’t publicly revealed much proof of its development. (Bloomberg)

HYDROPOWER: A hydropower advocacy group pushes for wave-, tide- and current-powered energy generation to get a place in the Biden administration’s clean energy plans, saying they could become a critical baseload power source. (E&E News, subscription)

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Kathryn Krawczyk

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.