EMISSIONS: The Biden administration looks to lower limits on soot emissions from vehicles, power plants and construction sites — a rule change that could save thousands of lives each year. (Grist)

ALSO:
• Washington state schedules the first pollution allowance auction under its carbon cap-and-invest program for late February. (Grist)
• The White House proposes new guidance to help federal agencies consider greenhouse gas emissions in their environmental reviews. (The Hill)

Happy New Year from Green Neighbor Challenge!
Start the new year off right – with energy action! The Green Neighbor Challenge’s free resident-centered tools are designed to help everyday people accelerate their home energy transition. Try them out, then challenge family and friends to do the same!

TRANSPORTATION:
• Electric vehicles with built-in heat pumps do a better job keeping passengers warm when they’re running or idled and tend to lose less of their battery range in cold temperatures, a study shows. (Washington Post)
• As the U.S. EPA rolls out funding for electric school buses, districts that don’t own the diesel buses they look to replace run into a roadblock. (Inside Climate News)
• Rhode Island advocates want the state to invest more aggressively in mass transit and other measures to reduce transportation emissions to hit its 2030 greenhouse gas goal. (Energy News Network)
• U.S. Defense Department planners want to add anti-idling technology to the next fleet of military vehicles, potentially cutting each vehicles’ fuel consumption by 20%. (Washington Post)

OIL & GAS:
• The U.S. Interior Department prepares an offshore drilling plan that aims to balance energy security and phasing out fossil fuels. (E&E News)
• Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs legislation that designates natural gas as “green energy” and opens state parkland to oil and gas drilling. (Ohio Capital Journal)

BUILDINGS: As studies repeatedly show the dangers of gas stoves’ emissions, the top federal consumer safety official says a ban on the appliances should be on the table. (Popular Science)

UTILITIES: Investor-owned electric and gas utilities paid their CEOs a total of $2.7 billion between 2017 and 2021, with total compensation more than rebounding in 2021 after a 2020 slump. (Energy and Policy Institute)

BATTERIES:
• Arguments conclude in an Indigenous and environmentalist advocates’ lawsuit aimed at blocking the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada, leaving the case in a federal judge’s hands. (NPR)
• Georgia, Kentucky and Michigan are expected to be dominant players in electric vehicle battery manufacturing by 2030. (CNBC)

CLIMATE: Sending climate aid to developing countries is one of the cheapest ways for the U.S. to reduce its own climate vulnerability, experts and advocates argue. (E&E News)

Fresh Energy is hiring!
Fresh Energy is seeking a Senior or Managing Director of Inclusive Finance to join the Energy Access and Equity Team. This role will focus on equitable implementation of federal funding in Minnesota, building a resilient clean energy economy, and beyond.

CRYPTOCURRENCY: Environmentalists want New York’s partial cryptocurrency mining ban to serve as a model for other states as it drives several mining companies to relocate. (Politico New York)

COMMENTARY: A successful, equitable phaseout of coal power will require billions of dollars of effective financing, two clean energy advocates write. (Canary Media)

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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.