** Texas’ power grid operator on Wednesday cited 12 energy companies and two municipal utilities for failure to pay their bills for power and services during February’s deadly blackout that has led to the ouster of the operator’s chief executive.
** General Motors plans to build a second battery factory and is eyeing Tennessee as a probable location as it ramps up its investment in electric vehicles.
** The federal transportation department will review an international trade ruling in a dispute between Korean battery makers for its effects on domestic electric vehicle production.
** Exxon Mobil Corp plans to cut its workforce in Singapore, home to its largest oil refining and petrochemical complex, by about 7% amid the “unprecedented market conditions” resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it said this week.
** Exxon Mobil Corp is suing Australia’s Macquarie Energy in a Texas court to avoid paying $11.7 million for missed deliveries during last month’s winter freeze in the central United States.
** A federal judge fines Exxon Mobil $14.25 million for air pollution violations at a Houston-area refinery and petrochemical complex, in what lawyers claim is the largest penalty ever imposed in a Clean Air Act citizen suit.
** A U.S. House committee launches an investigation of Texas’ power grid operator and seeks documents related to its preparation ahead of last month’s winter storm.
** New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy extends the moratorium on utility shut-offs through June as regulators grapple with how to deal with more than $700 million in customer debt.
** U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says she is ready to revamp a $40 billion federal loan program for clean energy.
** The San Carlos Apache Tribe faces a daunting fight to protect sacred land in Arizona from a copper mining project that has the backing of the U.S. government.
** California-based Lucid Motors joins forces with Tesla and Lordstown Motors to get state laws passed that would allow direct sales to consumers in a number of states.