INFRASTRUCTURE: The U.S. Senate passes a bipartisan infrastructure bill poised to send billions to states for climate adaptation, public transit, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Here’s how it might be spent in Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. (Associated Press, Times Record, WVNews, Newnan Times-Herald; Sun Sentinel; Texas Tribune)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Amazon-backed startup Rivian is in talks to build a factory near Fort Worth, Texas, that could produce 200,000 electric vehicles a year and create 7,500 jobs by 2027. (Bloomberg)
• Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant is among its locations leading the rollout of a new information technology platform meant to improve electric vehicle assembly performance. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• Dominion Energy announces all 8,600 of the utility’s fleet vehicles will be electric or “clean-burning alternative fuels” by 2030. (news release)

OIL & GAS:
• A federal judge orders the U.S. EPA to update its rules for chemical dispersants that were used during BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. (NOLA.com)
• Shreveport, Louisiana’s city council calls on the state regulators to enact a six-month moratorium on drilling and fracking until noise and pollution issues are addressed. (KTAL/KMSS)

CLIMATE: West Virginia environmentalists condemn Gov. Jim Justice for reactivating a state board that promotes fossil fuels as climate scientists issue a “code red for humanity” over carbon emissions. (Gazette-Mail)

COAL ASH:
• Northwest Georgia residents at a public hearing oppose state regulators’ approval of Georgia Power’s plan to leave more than 1 million tons of coal ash in an unlined pit, sitting partially in groundwater. (Georgia Recorder)
• Georgia Power announces it is joining a research initiative aimed at finding beneficial uses for coal ash recycling. (Cobb County Courier) 

SOLAR:
• The University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s solar farm allows researchers to study solar panel technology and practice rooftop installations, but resistance to renewable energy in the state remains its biggest challenge. (LA Illuminator)
• An Arkansas city breaks ground on a 200 KW solar project that will be owned by a third party and is expected to lower energy costs. (Magnolia Reporter)
• Residents of a central North Carolina town hold a rally to oppose a Dominion Energy subsidiary’s proposed solar farm. (Salisbury Post)

GRID: Thunderstorms caused more than 50,000 outages for Dominion Energy customers last night, with 15,000 customers in Northern Virginia and at least another 2,500 further south still without power Wednesday morning. (Washington Post, WFXR)

STORAGE: Texas-based Phillips 66, which owns oil refineries and hundreds of gas stations, purchases a stake in an Austrian battery material supplier to spur growth of the U.S.’s battery supply chain. (Renewable Energy World)

BIOMASS: Beaumont, Texas, approves a tax abatement for a proposed plant that would convert organic waste into feedstock gases that could be used to make gasoline and potentially hydrogen. (Beaumont Enterprise)

COMMENTARY: A former Virginia environmental regulator says the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s announcement that it will fully offset operational emissions with carbon offsets “deserves recognition and praise.” (Roanoke 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.