WORKFORCE: The U.S. added about 114,000 new jobs last year associated with national climate goals, including more than 28,000 jobs in the electric vehicle sector and another 18,000 in solar and wind. (HuffPost)

POLICY: President Biden is expected to highlight major clean energy investments in an economic policy speech today. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Ford and General Motors’ new electric vehicle charging partnership with Tesla and an engineering group’s agreement to set standards for the Tesla charging connector, may soon make Tesla’s charging network the U.S. standard. (Inside Climate News, New York Times)
• The White House clashes with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over claims that Republican state policies — and not federal incentives — have resulted in a surge of electric vehicle-related investment in the state. (Utility Dive, Associated Press)
• Ford is cutting hundreds of white-collar engineering and other salaried jobs as it seeks to trim costs amid a transition to electric vehicles. (Associated Press)

SOLAR: Texas’ surge in solar power — from 2,600 MW in 2019 to 16,800 MW last month — is helping its power grid avoid widespread outages or rolling blackouts through this month’s heat wave. (Texas Tribune, Guardian)

CLIMATE:
• The record heat wave affecting the South was made at least five times more likely because of human-caused climate change, according to a recent analysis by a climate science nonprofit. (Guardian)
• Curbing methane emissions is one of the most effective and cheapest ways for the oil and gas industry to reduce its climate impact, the International Energy Agency finds. (Bloomberg)
• Delaware lawmakers pass a bill setting greenhouse gas net emissions reduction goals of 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050, in addition to an electric school bus target and a requirement that new commercial buildings be able to incorporate rooftop solar. (Delaware News Journal)
• Unhealthy air quality across the Midwest caused by Canadian wildfires prompts Wisconsin clean energy advocates to call for a swift transition to renewable energy to address the underlying climate issues. (Wisconsin Examiner)

LITHIUM: Lawyers representing environmentalists and tribal nations urge a U.S. appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision allowing construction to begin on the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)

TRANSPORTATION: The 2021 federal infrastructure law has already added 1,800 no-emission buses to U.S. roadways, more than doubling the number of such vehicles in use. (Grist)

EFFICIENCY: Bipartisan legislation advancing in the GOP-controlled Ohio House would allow utilities to voluntarily reintroduce energy efficiency programs, which were eliminated in 2019 as part of House Bill 6. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIFICATION: A Colorado startup develops an electric-powered heat-pump boiler that can generate steam for industrial process heat applications. (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.