CLIMATE: The Biden administration’s $51 social cost of carbon — an estimate of the human and environmental damage from adding a metric ton of carbon to the atmosphere — should be more than three times higher, an analysis finds. (Grist)

ALSO:
• A study suggests countries with the most ambitious climate plans are the most likely to follow through. (Inside Climate News)
• California lawmakers approve $54 billion in climate spending and pass a flurry of related bills — including a mandate to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 — in the final days of the legislative session. (New York Times)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• The Biden administration is expected to announce a $1 billion economic development grant package today, with much of it targeted toward clean energy projects. (Associated Press)
• Experts say environmentalists will have to embrace construction of major transmission and clean energy projects, including mining, if they hope to fight climate change. (Washington Post)

STORAGE: A research team has discovered a way to make biodegradable battery components out of crab and lobster shells and zinc. (Daily Beast, The Guardian)

SOLAR: U.S. shipments of both imported and exported solar panels jumped 32% in terms of capacity from 2020 to 2021. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• U.S. automakers are attempting to strengthen their electric vehicle component supply chains to ensure they keep up with growing demand. (Supply Chain Dive)
• The electric vehicle industry urges the Biden administration to streamline mine permitting on federal lands to boost domestic production of key minerals. (Reuters) 

COAL:
• A coal industry group says the North American Electric Reliability Corp. is underestimating coal plant capacity retirements by 2030 by about 68 GW, posing a threat to grid reliability. (Utility Dive)
• Critics say fixes to the federal black lung trust fund in the climate spending package may be temporary if coal production and the related revenues that companies pay into the fund continue to decline. (WFPL)

OIL & GAS:
• Massachusetts advocates say it’s time to start thinking about how to protect lower-income residents from rising gas costs as those in wealthier towns begin to abandon the fossil fuel system. (Energy News Network)
• Mary Peltola, the Democrat who edged out Sarah Palin in a special election to represent Alaska in the U.S. House, backs the oil and gas industry and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (E&E News) 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Birmingham, Alabama’s long record of industrial pollution in historic Black communities has made it an epicenter of environmental injustice. (ProPublica)

WIND: Federal officials issue a draft report on the potential environmental impacts of Rhode Island’s first large-scale wind farms. (Boston Globe)

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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.