GRID: Texas regulators are set to vote today on an overhaul of the state power market and grid that would raise electricity rates to incentivize power companies to be available when there’s a power shortage. (Houston Chronicle, WFAA)

ALSO:
• An economist cites aging power plants, limited weatherization oversight and the intermittency of renewables as factors in the Texas state power grid’s continuing vulnerability to extreme weather events. (KVUE)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority names an independent panel to review the circumstances that led to rolling blackouts during last month’s cold snap. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
• The head of West Virginia’s public service commission tells lawmakers the state only narrowly avoided blackouts during last month’s winter storm. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

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OFFSHORE WIND: A new report projects supply chain bottlenecks and other challenges for the offshore wind industry in 2023 but pinpoints the Gulf of Mexico for its potential to generate nearly 9 GW of power. (The Hill)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Ford had already notified Virginia that it had selected the state for an electric vehicle battery factory before Gov. Glenn Youngkin nixed the deal because of the involvement of a Chinese company, according to two unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• A study finds electric vehicle chargers are easier to find in Whiter, wealthier neighborhoods in Virginia’s capital city and nationally. (Axios Richmond)
• A Kentucky utility seeks a consultant to develop an electric vehicle readiness and infrastructure plan for its service area. (news release)

SOLAR:
• A Virginia county adopts an ordinance allowing it to collect “revenue sharing” from solar projects and energy storage systems after several speakers warn against the visual impact of solar farms. (The Enterprise)
• A Florida nonprofit launches a solar co-op program to encourage residents of two counties to install rooftop solar and energy storage systems. (Florida Weekly)
• Wells Fargo will invest $267 million in two solar farms under construction in Arkansas and Louisiana. (The Advocate)

NUCLEAR:
• North Texas residents worry about the long-term sustainability of a nuclear plant seeking to renew its federal licenses through at least 2053. (Fort Worth Report)
• A Tennessee Congress member named to lead an energy and water subcommittee discusses nuclear power’s resurgence. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to build a small nuclear reactor in southwestern Virginia in the next decade, but details remain elusive. (Cardinal News)

PIPELINES:
• An appeal by three couples whose land was taken by eminent domain for construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline reaches the U.S. Supreme Court, though it’s unclear whether justices will take the case. (Roanoke Times)
• Tennessee residents cite memories of a 1992 natural gas line explosion that burned 5 acres of land as they oppose a planned 32-mile pipeline. (WSMV)

TRANSITION: Federal abandoned mine land grants will fund projects in Virginia to develop an industrial park and remove blighted homes in a former coal camp. (Cardinal News)

UTILITIES: South Carolina regulators consider a settlement between Duke Energy and businesses, conservation groups and government agencies for a smaller rate hike than what Duke initially requested. (Post and Courier)

POLITICS: Investment firm BlackRock was a sponsor at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ inaugural celebration even though his administration divested state funds in retaliation for its social and sustainability goals. (Washington Post)

COMMENTARY: The Virginia transportation department’s new resilience plan for state’s roads and bridges is a thoughtful, well-organized approach to the challenges of climate change, writes an editorial board. (Daily Press)

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Mason has worked as a journalist since 2001, covering Appalachian communities and the issues that affect them. He compiles the Southeast Energy News digest. Mason previously worked as a wildlife biologist before moving into journalism by freelancing at Coast Weekly in Monterey, California, before taking an internship in 2001 at High Country News. He wrote for the Enterprise Mountaineer in western North Carolina and the Roanoke Times in western Virginia before going freelance in 2012. His work has appeared in Southerly, Daily Yonder, Mother Jones, Huffington Post, WVPB’s Inside Appalachia and elsewhere. Mason was born and raised in Clifton Forge, Virginia, and now lives with his family and a small herd of goats in Floyd County, Virginia.