U.S., allies look to lock down mineral supply chain

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MINERALS: The Biden administration and key allies launch a critical mineral security program as automakers search for ways to secure electric vehicle battery materials amid geopolitical supply chain disruptions. (Inside Climate News)

ALSO:
• Environmentalists worry a push to use the Defense Production Act to boost production of minerals needed to build out clean energy will harm tribal lands and frontline communities. (E&E News)
• Federal and state officials say a lithium battery startup that plans to open a West Virginia factory may pave a path for the state through the energy transition. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

EQUITY: Clean energy installations have so far been disproportionately confined to wealthy countries, even though poorer areas often have a higher potential of harnessing solar and wind power. (Bloomberg)

POLITICS:
• The Biden administration’s proposed 2023 budget appears to leave out major climate spending in favor of appealing to moderate lawmakers. (Bloomberg)
• U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has consistently acted to help a West Virginia power plant that is the only customer of his family’s coal business, including at the expense of ambitious federal climate legislation. (New York Times)
• Democrats’ narrow hold on the U.S. Senate puts Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Richard Glick’s job at risk when his term expires this summer. (Politico)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The U.S. Postal Service increases its order of electric trucks to 10,000, though most of its new fleet will still rely on gasoline. (Canary Media)

WIND: The federal government announces it will auction off wind power tracts in two areas off the North Carolina and South Carolina shores. (Associated Press)

GRID:
• The U.S. installed a record 3 GW of grid-scale storage last year, nearly tripling 2020’s installation totals. (Utility Dive)
• A federal regulator calls on grid operators to change the way interconnection queues are processed in order to speed up inter-regional transmission projects. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES: The federal government and the Dakota Access pipeline developer misled the public, used substandard science and failed to cooperate with tribes while the project was built, according to a new report from an Indigenous nonprofit. (Grist)

OIL & GAS:
• Connecticut utility regulators want to end a program that incentivizes homeowners and businesses to convert from oil to natural gas as soon as April. (Energy News Network)
• Efforts to ramp up liquified natural gas exports from Louisiana will likely be slowed by lengthy construction timelines, maxed-out capacities, regulatory pressures and environmental opposition. (The Advocate)
• The Biden administration’s push to increase natural gas exports to Europe gives a boost to a controversial $38 billion Alaska LNG export terminal and pipeline project proposal. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

NUCLEAR: Indigenous and environmental advocates say proposals to ban Russian uranium imports and revive the domestic mining industry pose environmental and spiritual threats to tribal nations. (Guardian)

UTILITIES: Customer revenue from a FirstEnergy subsidiary in 2017 secretly flowed to a dark money nonprofit group supporting former President Trump’s energy agenda at the time, records show. (E&E News)

SOLAR: La Crosse, Wisconsin finds a workaround to the state’s third-party owned solar uncertainty, partnering with Johnson Controls on an energy performance savings contract that includes on-site solar. (Energy News Network)