** A Louisiana natural gas well explodes, injuring four, following an oil well blowout.
** President Biden plans to rely on ally countries to supply the bulk of the metals needed to build electric vehicles while focusing on processing the materials into battery parts domestically.
** Michigan lawmakers consider a preemptive ban on local ordinances that limit the use of natural gas connections and appliances in residential and commercial buildings as part of electrification efforts.
** North Dakota ranked as a leading state for wind power development in the first quarter of 2021, according to an industry group report.
** A Texas geologist argues for construction of more pipelines to boost the country’s energy independence, ensure safe transportation of oil-based fuels and stabilize prices.
** A Texas geologist argues for construction of more pipelines to boost the country’s energy independence, ensure safe transportation of oil-based fuels and stabilize prices.
** The Department of Energy is pursuing pilot projects, including one in North Dakota, to extract rare metals from coal ash for use in clean energy components like batteries and wind turbines.
** Federal workplace safety regulators propose nearly $200,000 in fines for two contractors involved in a coal-fired power plant demolition in Ohio last year that killed two workers.
** North Carolina environmental groups buy television ads pressing state lawmakers to require Duke Energy retire coal-fired power plants and accelerate solar and wind power construction, while a Duke-backed group runs social media ads attacking a bill to study energy market reforms.
** Blackrock Inc. – ExxonMobil Corp.’s second-largest shareholder with a 6.7 percent share – is set to support the efforts of activist investor hedge fund Engine No. 1 in adding new candidates to the oil giant’s board, according to people familiar with the situation.
** Dozens of Kentucky residents speak against a proposed ordinance to standardize solar farm regulations because they say they’re worried the changes would result in more development on farmland.
** A Texas energy developer hires contractor Bechtel to design a multibillion-dollar natural-gas-to-gasoline manufacturing facility in the Permian Basin.
** Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said that Republican senators’ counterproposal to the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan will cost roughly $1 trillion, and his colleague Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said it will be delivered to the White House on Thursday.