COAL ASH: At a federal hearing, residents and advocates from Western tribal communities, Midwest cities and Black communities in the South call on U.S. EPA officials to further expand the agency’s proposed coal ash storage rules and step up enforcement of existing regulations. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR:
• States, tribal governments and other municipalities can now apply for $7 billion in federal grants to build residential solar arrays in low-income communities. (The Hill)
• A South Dakota tribal energy job-training nonprofit is awarded $1.5 million in federal funding to grow the number of Indigenous women working in solar. (South Dakota Searchlight)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The Biden administration says it’ll put $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding toward accelerating domestic electric vehicle manufacturing and bailing out struggling plants. (Reuters)
• The auto industry’s largest lobbying group says a proposed U.S. EPA rule aimed at ensuring two-thirds of cars sold by 2032 are electric is “neither reasonable nor achievable” without “substantially” increasing vehicle costs and disadvantaging many Americans. (New York Times)
• Local transit agency demand for federal money to electrify bus fleets is far exceeding the amount of funding Congress has to hand out. (Canary Media)
• Almost every New England state ranked highly in a national nonprofit’s latest transportation electrification report, but it found that Rhode Island and New Hampshire have work to do. (Providence Business News, Providence Journal, Center Square)

POLICY: President Biden outlines an economic agenda with a focus on federal production incentives for solar, wind and other climate and clean energy technologies. (E&E News)

PIPELINES: As federal regulators approve permits to restart construction on the long-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline, the fate of its Southgate extension into North Carolina remains in question after it’s twice been rejected by state regulators. (WDBJ, Energy News Network)

CLIMATE:
• A new Pew Research Center poll maps Americans’ views on climate and clean energy, finding 75% support efforts to fight climate change, but many remain skeptical of phasing out fossil fuels and combustion vehicles. (Axios)
• Unhealthy air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires returns to the Midwest and extends from New York through Virginia, with conditions in some areas expected to worsen today. (Washington Post)

STORAGE: U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm hails the new Southeast “battery belt” emerging from federal clean energy and infrastructure spending. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

ELECTRIFICATION: Colorado analysts warn of impending electrical contractor shortages as the state pushes electrification of transportation, buildings and industry. (Colorado Sun)

COMMENTARY: An analyst suggests geothermal energy projects could take the place of fossil fuels to provide baseload power along with batteries storing renewable generation. (Forbes)

More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West

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.