OIL & GAS: As more local governments consider restrictions on natural gas, an industry group hires Democratic politicians and pollsters to convince liberal voters that the fossil fuel is a clean energy source. (Washington Post)

ALSO:
• The federal Bureau of Land Management recommends approval of a scaled back version of ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska. (New York Times)
• A taxpayer advocacy group finds methane lost due to oil and gas facility flaring, venting and leaks deprived Indigenous nations of $21.8 million in potential royalties in 2019. (Grist)

MINING: As critical minerals become increasingly valuable in the clean energy transition, experts quash fears of material shortages and predict miners will get “creative” to find what they need. (Washington Post)

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CLIMATE:
• U.S. climate envoy John Kerry says he’s still seeking “money, money, money, money” to launch a global fund to help poor countries adapt to climate change. (Washington Post)
• Kerry’s proposed carbon offsets market will likely face competition from existing offsets, with one expert saying an ideal carbon price would be around $50 a ton while current options are available for just a few dollars. (E&E News)

OVERSIGHT: States brace for a flood of environmental permitting activity as developers prepare for significant projects made possible under recent federal climate and infrastructure laws. (Bloomberg Law)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Electric vehicle charging company ChargePoint Holdings and storage company Stem partner to analyze potential demand at future charging sites and tell developers what federal incentives they can access. (Utility Dive)
• Much of Boston’s public electric vehicle charging infrastructure is sited in wealthier areas, causing an inequitable gap in where city residents can charge, according to a new Boston University project. (WBUR)

POLITICS:
• Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman — leaders of their chambers’ natural resource committees — start discussing a new permitting reform plan. (E&E News)
• In the latest culture-war volley over electrification, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes a tax exemption for gas stoves, despite his state having the lowest rate of gas stove adoption in the country. (Florida Politics)

EMISSIONS: A medical study links air pollution with depression and anxiety, finding even low levels of pollution correlated with increased risk of negative mental health effects. (Washington Post)

GRID: Clean energy analysts urge a “no regrets” energy transition strategy that would require hundreds of gigawatts of long-duration energy storage to back up renewable electricity sources. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: In an ongoing trial, federal prosecutors detail how utility money flowed through dark money groups to political action committees and limited liability companies to benefit former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder. (Ohio Capital Journal)

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EFFICIENCY: The Energy Department proposes new efficiency standards for gas and electric cooktops to reduce their emissions impact. (NBC News)

COMMENTARY:
• A clean energy advocate says equipping electric appliances with “stealth storage” in the form of built-in batteries could help make homes more resilient. (Energy News Network)
• A climate advocate says outages during December winter storms “disprove the stubborn myth that natural gas and coal are our most reliable sources of power.” (Bloomberg) 

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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.