COAL: In a draft report released yesterday, the Tennessee Valley Authority proposes replacing its Cumberland coal plant with natural gas. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, subscription)

ALSO: While U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has touted “all-of-the-above energy” in his opposition to climate legislation, his home state has one of the least diverse energy mixes in the country, with 88% of its electricity derived from coal. (E&E News)

WIND: Virginia regulators question Dominion Energy’s economic development claims about its proposed offshore wind project, saying the utility’s analysis didn’t account ratepayers footing the cost. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES: Tennessee lawmakers approve a bill that would prevent local governments from blocking fossil fuel development, including enforcing safety rules, but still allows them to stop solar projects. (WPLN)

CRYPTOCURRENCY: Kentucky officials try to lure cryptocurrency server farms to take advantage of the state’s low electricity prices, but critics say the facilities are massive energy hogs that provide little economic benefit. (WKU)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Only four of Houston’s 16 city council members took up an advocacy group’s challenge to spend a day navigating the city without a car. (Houston Chronicle)
• The Tennessee Department of Transportation is seeking public input on where to install electric vehicle charging stations. (WBIR)
• A Virginia school district plans to add six more electric buses to its fleet this year. (WHSV)

SOLAR: A new report highlights lessons learned so far in Virginia’s expansion of solar energy. (Virginia Mercury)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Duke Energy says it has increased its renewable energy capacity, but wind and solar made up a lower percentage of its overall generation last year. (Winston-Salem Journal)
• Activists go door-to-door in five Kentucky cities to build support for state investments in clean energy. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

GRID: Georgia Power is planning to demolish several homes in a historic Atlanta neighborhood for a substation expansion. (WXIA)

OVERSIGHT: Six candidates have filed to challenge two incumbent members of Georgia’s Public Service Commission. (Savannah Morning News)

COMMENTARY:
• A former West Virginia legislator says “our unwillingness to adopt clean energy at scale” emboldens authoritarian regimes like Russia’s. (Register-Herald)
• An advocate says Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of an energy efficiency bill stands in contrast to his stated priority of helping lower Virginians’ cost of living. (Virginia Mercury)
• An editorial warns that Texas officials still have not made structural changes needed to ensure grid reliability. (Dallas Morning News)

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Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.