CLEAN ENERGY: As several states race ahead on clean energy policy, advocates and subject-matter experts are being called on more than ever, prompting concerns about “stakeholder fatigue.” (Inside Climate News)

ALSO:
• Unions, advocates and industry groups warn a shortage of electrical steel used to make transformers, electric vehicle chargers and other clean energy components threatens wide-scale electrification. (Utility Dive)
• Nebraska community colleges struggle to recruit students for renewable energy training programs, mirroring a broader labor shortage for the industry. (Flatwater Free Press)


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POLITICS:
• Clean energy advocates are divided over proposed federal permitting reforms, with some supportive of fast-tracking new transmission lines but others more worried about the environmental impacts. (Utility Dive)
• The U.S. House fails to override President Biden’s veto of a bill to re-establish solar import tariffs on four Southeast Asian countries. (Politico)
• Republicans on a U.S. House committee advance a bill to limit federal regulations on gas stoves. (E&E News)

SOLAR: Investment in clean energy is expected to exceed fossil fuel spending this year, according to the International Energy Agency. (Reuters)

HYDROGEN: Clean energy advocates hail Colorado’s new hydrogen law as a national model because of its clear, careful parameters that favor projects where other clean fuels won’t work. (Colorado Sun)

STORAGE: Total U.S. battery storage capacity surged 52% at the end of 2023’s first quarter from the year before, with California home to almost half of the country’s capacity. (S&P Global)

GRID: Grid connection applications surge in the Western U.S. amid soaring demand for renewable energy projects, posing a test for grid operators. (Reuters)

ADVOCACY:
• A Detroit activist’s community space on the city’s east side also serves as a crucial way to help historically under-resourced neighborhoods adapt to climate change. (Planet Detroit/Energy News Network)
• Activists press North Carolina regulators to consider existing pollution when evaluating environmental permit applications to avoid placing disproportionate burdens on people living in the area. (Charlotte Observer)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Connecticut can’t achieve its climate targets unless residents start driving less, but local zoning policies prohibiting dense residential development impede the state’s work. (Energy News Network)
• A San Francisco startup demonstrates a prototype for a robotic system that can swap out an EV battery for a fully charged one in five minutes. (Canary Media)

NUCLEAR: The first of two new nuclear reactors at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle nears 100% power, seven years late and $17 billion over budget. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Press)


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OIL & GAS: Shell agrees to pay $10 million in penalties for air pollution violations at a Pittsburgh-area facility that began operating in November, but local environmentalists point out the fine is just a tiny fraction of the company’s profits. (Inside Climate News, Pittsburgh Business Times)

CLIMATE: A poll finds just less than half of Americans say they believe human actions cause climate change, the lowest share in several years. (The Hill)

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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.