BATTERIES: The White House unveils a task force to address “near-term bottlenecks” in supply chains dependent on imports, including semiconductors, high-capacity batteries and rare earth minerals. (New York Times)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• The Energy Department launches an “Energy Earthshots” initiative to shrink clean energy costs, starting with a call for innovation to reduce the price of hydrogen by 80% in the next decade. (The Hill)
• A Trump administration infrastructure official says a backlogged permitting process, not capital, is the biggest constraint preventing new clean energy development. (E&E News, subscription)

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PIPELINES:
• The FBI recovers millions of dollars worth of the cryptocurrency ransom Colonial Pipeline paid hackers to halt their cyberattack. (The Hill)
• Activists chain themselves to bulldozers, excavators and other equipment as hundreds of people trespass on Enbridge property to protest Line 3 pipeline construction in northern Minnesota. (MPR News)
• A federal pipeline safety agency tells companies it will start inspecting their plans to curb methane leaks next year. (E&E News, subscription)
• The use of eminent domain by the proposed Byhalia Connection pipeline in Memphis, Tennessee, sparks a debate over property rights. (E&E News)

EMISSIONS: Carbon in the atmosphere hits its highest level in recorded history, more than rebounding from last year’s pandemic-induced drop. (Washington Post)

OIL & GAS:
• Declaring bankruptcy has allowed offshore oil and gas drillers to evade cleanup responsibilities, but the Interior Department is fighting back. (Grist)
• The U.S. became a net exporter of oil in 2020 following an Obama-era policy, complicating efforts to reduce emissions. (Rolling Stone)

COAL:
• A high-tech manufacturing training center built with federal grants near a reclaimed coal mine has trained nearly 200 eastern Kentucky workers — most of them men, many of them laid-off coal miners. (Energy News Network)
• West Virginia has failed to comply with state and federal law in overseeing its coal mining reclamation program, creating a risk of insolvency, according to a legislative audit. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Achieving Uber’s and Lyft’s electric vehicle targets will require a dramatic increase in charging stations in low-income areas, according to a new study. (E&E News, subscription)
• A think tank report finds that electric vehicle rideshare drivers in Los Angeles stick to upper-income neighborhoods, leaving the combustion engines to the poorer areas. (Canary Media)

OFFSHORE WIND: Nine East Coast governors ask the Biden Administration for help with transmission constraints and to designate more federal offshore areas for possible wind development. (E&E News, subscription; news release)

GRID: Utilities in the Southwest turn to solar, storage, and microgrids to bolster grid resilience as a severe wildfire season looms. (Energy News Network)

TRANSPORTATION: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont now says he’s committed to the region’s Transportation Climate Initiative after seemingly abandoning it, and environmental groups say the deal isn’t dead yet. (Boston Herald)

CLIMATE: Colorado Democrats reach a deal with Gov. Jared Polis on a stalled bill that will require state regulators to enforce emissions limits and create an environmental justice task force. (Colorado Sun)

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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.