OIL & GAS: A federal judge halts the Biden administration’s pause on new liquified natural gas export approvals, siding with industry and 16 Republican-led states that had challenged the freeze. (E&E News)

ALSO: Permian Basin truck drivers block entrances to frac sand mines as they demand better pay and working conditions, marking a first-ever organized labor movement in the nation’s busiest oil field. (Texas Tribune)  

UTILITIES: Georgia Power faces pressure as large customers and local governments demand a faster transition to clean energy to meet their own targets. (WABE)

SOLAR: New Virginia laws will expand a Dominion Energy shared solar program and establish a new program for Appalachian Power customers. (VPM)

OVERSIGHT: Kentucky’s top utility regulator resigns as his term expires, with Gov. Andy Beshear expected to appoint a replacement soon. (Kentucky Lantern)

GRID: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces plans to double a new state fund that offers low-interest loans to help develop new gas-fired power plants. (Texas Tribune)  

WIND: About 140 people pack a Texas county commission meeting to oppose a proposed wind farm project west of Houston. (Fayette County Record) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announces $11.2 million in federal grants to install electric vehicle charging stations at 14 locations in the state. (WSFA)

CLIMATE: 

  • The Biden administration announces $19.2 million in funding for a South Florida climate tech hub that will research low-carbon concrete and other products to help make coastlines more resilient to rising seas. (Miami Herald) 
  • A recent study by Oklahoma researchers finds climate change is likely to intensify hazard risk and social injustice for Native Americans. (ICT)

POLITICS: The federal climate money pouring into Georgia under President Biden has created awkward political dynamics for Republicans, who opposed the funding but have also touted its economic impact on rural towns. (BBC)   

COMMENTARY: North Carolina regulators should force Duke Energy to rethink and modify its Carbon Plan proposal to include a cleaner, more predictable and affordable mix of power sources, writes an advisory board member with the Environmental Defense Fund. (Energy News Network)

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Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.