UTILITIES: Utility executives will meet with President Biden today to push for direct payment options for all federal clean energy tax credits, as well as new credits for storage, transmission, and hydrogen projects and more electric vehicle incentives. (E&E News)

ALSO: Four of President Biden’s nominees to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s board of directors remain held up in the U.S. Senate. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

CLIMATE:
• The EPA is severely undervaluing methane’s warming impact and needs to clamp down on the greenhouse gas to meet climate goals, a study finds. (Inside Climate News)
• The U.S. Army releases its first climate strategy that includes a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and training for soldiers to deal with worsening heat waves and flooding. (Reuters)
• The federal government doesn’t regularly update local precipitation reports, which has left many cities building infrastructure based on obsolete data. (NPR)

STORAGE: States’ experiments with clean energy storage policies could provide models for a nationwide buildout, experts say. (Utility Dive)

WIND: In North Carolina, birders and organized labor dominated public comments on a planned federal offshore wind auction and were overwhelmingly positive. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The U.S. is set to deploy as many as 140,000 zero-emission trucks in the next 10 years, a clean transportation advocacy group estimates. (Utility Dive)
• Known for oil changes, auto services provider Valvoline will make electric vehicle services available at some of its locations. (Axios)
• General Motors plans to increase production of electric trucks and SUVs this year by more than six times the previously planned output. (Reuters)
• Competition is building among major automakers and startups seeking to gain a foothold in the electric commercial fleet vehicle space. (CNN)

OVERSIGHT: House Democrats call oil companies’ climate pledges “empty promises” in an Oversight Committee hearing where industry leaders declined to show up. (E&E News)

MICROGRIDS: A $25 million microgrid project in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is set to come online and could serve as a model for utilities and communities across the country. (Canary Media)

SOLAR:
• An Ohio bill that would establish a community solar program in the state is advancing unopposed so far, with a third committee hearing scheduled today. (Energy News Network)
• Developers behind plans to bring a large solar panel manufacturing facility to northern New York are shocked by National Grid’s $19 million estimated cost to put the facility on the grid. (NNY360)

CLEAN ENERGY: The Nature Conservancy releases a map identifying optimal areas for solar and wind development with minimal impacts to wildlife and habitats. (news release)

NUCLEAR: West Virginia’s governor signs into law a measure rolling back the state’s prohibition on nuclear power plant construction. (Charleston Gazette-Mail, Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

COMMENTARY: Blockchain and other emerging technologies could improve emissions tracking, an environmental policy professor and a climate finance researcher write. (Scientific American)

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.