CLIMATE: A new report finds a growing number of companies are making net-zero pledges, but few of them have a credible plan to get there. (Associated Press)

ALSO: The trial for a youths’ lawsuit accusing Montana of violating residents’ constitutional right to a healthy, livable climate with its fossil fuel-friendly policies is scheduled to begin today. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES: Connecticut and Hawaii are considering oversight models that tie utility profits to performance metrics rather than just allowing a guaranteed return on investments. (Inside Climate News)

GRID:
• “It’s very different from how we do other types of national infrastructure”: An explainer highlights the challenges to upgrading the country’s electric grid to help meet emissions-reduction goals. (New York Times)
• Several New England senators support plans for a 1 GW transmission line that would bring Canadian hydropower to the regional grid via an underwater cable in Lake Champlain. (Register Citizen)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Sen. Joe Manchin accuses the Treasury Department of not following the law as it implements tax credits for electric vehicles. (E&E News)
• Tesla’s Superchargers could be eligible for billions of dollars in federal subsidies provided they meet standards for open accessibility. (Quartz)
• A poll finds 60% of Maryland voters oppose a plan to end the sale of gasoline powered vehicles in the state by 2035, even if it means a significant reduction in emissions. (Maryland Matters)

BUILDINGS:
• North Carolina developers say a proposal to bring the state more in line with the rest of the country on building energy efficiency would make homes less affordable, but numerous experts say the rules would immediately save new homeowners money and have little impact on prices. (Energy News Network)
• A Vermont legislative committee votes to delay implementation of a new residential building energy standard by a year, seemingly in response to builders’ concerns. (VT Digger)

SOLAR: About half of the output from Illinois’ largest solar project will be devoted to offsetting the city of Chicago’s municipal electric use when it’s completed in late 2024. (Energy News Network)

NATURAL GAS: A judge reverses his April order halting construction on a natural gas plant in Montana, citing a new state law that bars agencies from considering climate impacts in environmental reviews. (Associated Press)

POLLUTION: A loophole backed by the oil industry means wildfire smoke doesn’t count against states’ Clean Air Act compliance, with scientists and advocates warning of escalating health risks. (The Lever)

COMMENTARY:
• A former Iowa lawmaker and energy regulator says interstate transmission projects are needed to speed up clean energy deployment. (Des Moines Register)
• An education expert explains how she talks to her kids about climate change. (CNN)
• A finance company explains how it can quickly provide needed capital to energy firms. (Raistone, sponsored)

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Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.